The US President said he had given Iran a ‘period of time’ to see if its leaders would ‘come to their senses’ after saying his two week deadline would be the ‘maximum’
Donald Trump has slammed his former Democrat spy chief in a blistering attack while being questioned about his plans for potential US intervention in Iran.
The President has been subject to intense questioning in recent days as he weighs whether or not to involve the US in the ongoing Israeli assault of Iranian nuclear facilities. On Thursday, he decided he would wait two weeks before giving an order on how to precede, before going on today to claim the nation is “within a matter of weeks or months” of acquiring a nuclear weapon. He has now said the country has two weeks “to come to its senses” before slamming his own intelligence chief.
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Speaking to the press this afternoon, Trump was asked by gathered journalists about the intelligence behind his claim that Iran is close to acquiring a weapon of mass destruction. He was asked to respond to claims that members of the US intelligence community has said they had “no idea” when Iran could develop a bomb.
In response, he said: “Well then my intelligence community is wrong.” He then asked: “Who in the intelligence community said that?”
When the journalist informed him that his director of national intelligence, former Democrat turned key Trump ally Tulsi Gabbard, had said so, he curtly responded: “She’s wrong.”
Ms Gabbard told Capitol Hill lawmakers in March that the intelligence community “continues to assess that Iran is not building a nuclear weapon and Supreme Leader Khamenei has not authorized the nuclear weapons program he suspended in 2003”. She added at the time that the US was closelt monitoring Iran’s nuclear programme, before noting it was actively enriching uranium.
She noted, however, that Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile “is at its highest levels and is unprecedented for a state without nuclear weapons”.
The Commander-In-Chief also previously suggested his handpicked national security head was wrong earlier this week, adding fuel to rumours that his fragile MAGA coalition is reportedly fracturing at present. Key factions in the alliance are splitting over the 79-year-old’s approach to Israel’s recent all-out attack, with a key Trump-Vance campaign plank being no involvement in foreign conflicts.
Mr Trump said during his press address earlier today that he has given Iran “a period of time”, before adding the two week deadline he had originally given was “the maximum”. During those two weeks, he added, the parties involved in the conflict would receive “time to see whether or not people come to their senses”.
He also said it would be “very hard” to ask Israel to cease attacks on Iran after Iran’s foreign minister said Israel must stop its “crimes and aggression”, adding that Iran will not negotiate with any parts as long as Israeli attacks continue.
“I think it’s very hard to make that request right now,” Trump said as he was asked whether or not he would speak to Israel about stopping their strikes. “If someone is winning, it’s harder to do than if someone is losing. But we are ready and willing and able, and have been speaking to Iran and we will see what happens.”