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On Monday, Iran responded to President Donald Trump’s claims about its nuclear enrichment program by stating that Trump is relying on an unsubstantiated, political justification. According to Iran, U.S. intelligence concluded that the country is not building a nuclear weapon.
Newsweek has reached out to the White House for comment.
**Why It Matters**
The ongoing dispute between the United States and Iran over Tehran’s nuclear activities continues to heighten regional tensions. Trump unilaterally withdrew from the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) during his first term. As the expiration of the 2015 nuclear deal approaches in October, Iran’s pledge to continue enriching uranium raises concerns about nuclear proliferation, complicates Western diplomacy, and leaves open the possibility of a broader military conflict.
**What To Know**
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baqaei rejected Trump’s claims, calling them outdated and based on an ordinary citizen’s analysis rather than the consensus of U.S. intelligence. Baqaei referred to a video posted by Trump showing part of a 2022 interview with Ali Motahari, Iran’s former deputy parliament speaker. In this interview, Motahari stated that Iran aimed to “build a bomb” and wanted to “go all the way” to acquire a nuclear weapon.
**U.S. Intelligence Assessments**
In June, the U.S. struck Iran’s Natanz, Isfahan, and Fordo nuclear sites while Israel attacked Iranian nuclear and military facilities, killing several nuclear scientists during a 12-day conflict in which Iran also fired missiles at Israeli territory and later attempted to strike a U.S. base in Qatar. These attacks occurred as Washington and Tehran were engaged in nuclear talks over Iran’s uranium enrichment levels, which the International Atomic Energy Agency found had nearly reached bomb-grade, violating the JCPOA.
Tehran claims its nuclear program is for peaceful civilian purposes. Baqaei cited Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard’s assessment to support this claim. In March, Gabbard testified before Congress that the intelligence community did not believe Iran was actively pursuing a nuclear weapon—a conclusion Trump quickly and roundly rejected.
Soon after the U.S. bombed Iran, an initial U.S. intelligence report indicated that Iran’s nuclear program would likely be delayed by only a few months. This fell short of Trump’s claim that it had been “completely and fully obliterated.” Over the weekend, it emerged that U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth fired Lieutenant General Jeffrey Kruse, head of the Defense Intelligence Agency, after dismissing an initial report and launching an investigation into its leak to the press.
**What People Are Saying**
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmail Baqaei wrote on X: “When, in his persistent effort to justify America’s unlawful attack on Iran’s peaceful nuclear facilities, President of the United States Donald John Trump chooses to ignore the March 2025 testimony of his own DNI before Congress—affirming that ‘THE IC CONTINUES TO ASSESS THAT IRAN IS NOT BUILDING A NUCLEAR WEAPON’—and instead leans on the personal analysis of an Iranian citizen from 2022, he exposes the political, not factual, nature of his claims.”
Iranian politician Ali Motahari stated: “Trump has posted my interview as if it reflects the official decision of the Islamic Republic to build a nuclear bomb. It shows how empty-handed he is when he relies on the personal opinion of an ordinary individual, not an official report.”
**What Happens Next**
A nuclear deadlock raises the risk of escalation and potential military action. Trump has renewed threats against Iran if it fails to negotiate a new deal.
