US Intel: Iran Nuclear ⁣Program ⁢Not Rushing Weapon, Despite​ Claims

⁢ ‌ ⁢ Updated June 19, 2025

Washington D.C.— Despite differing public statements,U.S.‍ intelligence agencies assess that Iran has not yet made the decision to construct⁢ a nuclear weapon, according to Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., and ​a source familiar with the matter. This assessment,⁣ regarding Iran’s nuclear program, has ​remained consistent since March.

President Donald Trump and israeli Prime Minister Benjamin⁢ Netanyahu have recently asserted that Iran⁤ is ‌on the verge of ​developing‍ a nuclear weapon. Trump ⁢stated Wednesday that Iran was “a few weeks” away, while Netanyahu claimed Iran⁢ was following a “secret plan” to build a bomb within months.

Netanyahu told ‍Fox News, “The intel we‌ got and we shared with the ‍United States was absolutely clear‍ that they were working on a secret plan to weaponize the uranium. They were marching⁤ very quickly.”

warner, vice chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, expressed confusion over Trump’s remarks, noting that U.S.‍ intelligence officials have presented‌ a different⁢ picture to lawmakers. He emphasized the‍ need for clarification ⁣from the administration⁣ regarding any new ‍intelligence on Iran’s nuclear ambitions.

In March, then-Director of National ‌Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard testified⁢ that U.S. spy agencies believed Iran had not decided to build nuclear weapons,⁢ though ‌it possessed meaningful enriched uranium stockpiles. This assessment remains unchanged,according to sources.

“So far, at least, the intelligence community has stood by‍ it’s conclusion that Iran is not moving towards a⁤ nuclear weapon,” Warner said. “They were enriching additional uranium,but they‍ were not weaponizing that⁤ yet,and that ‌(decision) was left with the supreme leader.”

For Iran to achieve a nuclear‌ arsenal,⁣ uranium enrichment to 90% purity is necessary. Currently, iran holds approximately ⁤400 kilograms of ‍uranium enriched to 60%, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). While technically ⁢a small step remains⁢ to reach 90%, U.S. officials estimate Iran possesses enough uranium to potentially produce up to 10 weapons within weeks.

However, enriching uranium is only​ the initial phase. Constructing and testing‍ a ⁢deliverable device, whether a bomb or missile, would take ⁤additional time. Western officials and analysts estimate this process could span months to over a year. Experts emphasize that while ‌Iran isn’t weeks⁣ away ⁣from a weapon, it is close⁤ to securing sufficient fissile material.

IAEA Director General⁣ Rafael Grossi reported earlier this month that Iran is the only non-nuclear-weapon state producing and accumulating uranium enriched ‌to 60%.​ Despite this,⁢ Grossi told CNN ⁤that U.N. inspectors lack proof of a systematic effort to‌ develop a nuclear weapon.

Recent Israeli airstrikes ​on Iranian facilities, including centrifuge plants and ⁣uranium conversion labs, have likely set back Iran’s nuclear ⁢program by several months, according to sources. Israel claims to have targeted missile sites⁤ and killed nuclear scientists in ​thes raids.

What’s next

The international‌ community continues to monitor Iran’s nuclear activities closely, awaiting ​further clarification from U.S. intelligence and the IAEA regarding ​the country’s intentions and capabilities in the development of nuclear weapons.