Tulsi Gabbard now says Iran might produce nuclear weapon ‘inside weeks’

Tulsi Gabbard says Iran might produce nuclear weapons “inside weeks”, months after she testified earlier than Congress that the nation was not constructing them.

The US Director of Nationwide Intelligence mentioned her March testimony – wherein she mentioned Iran had a inventory of supplies however was not constructing these weapons – had been taken out of context by “dishonest media”.

Her change of place got here after Donald Trump mentioned she was “mistaken” and that intelligence confirmed Iran had a “great quantity of fabric” and will have a nuclear weapon “inside months”.

Iran has all the time mentioned that its nuclear programme is fully peaceable and that it has by no means sought to develop a nuclear weapon.

On Thursday Trump mentioned he was giving Tehran the “most” of two weeks to succeed in a deal on its nuclear actions with Washington. He mentioned he would quickly resolve whether or not the US ought to be part of Israel’s strikes on Iran.

Disagreement has been constructing inside Trump’s “America First” motion over whether or not the US ought to enter the battle.

On Saturday morning, Iran’s International Minister Abbas Araghchi mentioned his nation was “completely prepared for a negotiated answer” on their nuclear programme however that Iran “can not undergo negotiations with the US when our individuals are underneath bombardment”.

In her submit on social media, Gabbard mentioned US intelligence confirmed Iran is “on the level that it will possibly produce a nuclear weapon inside weeks to months”.

“President Trump has been clear that may’t occur, and I agree,” she added.

Gabbard shared a video of her full testimony earlier than Congress in March, the place she mentioned US intelligence companies had concluded Iran was not constructing nuclear weapons.

Consultants additionally decided Iran had not resumed its suspended 2003 nuclear weapons programme, she added within the clip, even because the nation’s stockpile of enriched uranium – a part of such weapons – was at an all-time excessive.

In her testimony, she mentioned Iran’s inventory was “unprecedented for a state with out nuclear weapons”.

Earlier this month, the Worldwide Atomic Power Company (IAEA) – the worldwide nuclear watchdog – expressed concern about Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium, which can be utilized to make reactor gas but additionally nuclear weapons.

Gabbard’s March testimony has been beforehand criticised by Trump, who earlier advised reporters he didn’t “care what she mentioned”.

The US president mentioned he believes Iran have been “very near having a weapon” and his nation wouldn’t enable that to occur.

In 2015, Iran agreed a long-term deal on its nuclear programme with a gaggle of world powers after years of stress over the nation’s alleged efforts to develop a nuclear weapon.

Iran had been participating in talks with the US this yr over its nuclear programme and was scheduled to carry an extra spherical when Israel launched strikes on Iran on 13 June, which Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu mentioned focused “the guts” of Iran’s nuclear programme.

“If not stopped, Iran might produce a nuclear weapon in a really quick time,” Netanyahu claimed.

Israeli air strikes have destroyed Iranian army services and weapons, and killed senior army commanders and nuclear scientists.

Iran’s well being ministry mentioned on Saturday that no less than 430 folks had been killed, whereas a human rights group, the Human Rights Activists Information Company, put the unofficial dying toll at 657 on Friday.

Iran has retaliated with missile and drone strikes in opposition to Israel, killing 25 folks together with one who suffered a coronary heart assault.