When US President Donald Trump addressed the American folks on Tuesday night time, he claimed that Iran is “working to build missiles that will soon reach the United States of America.”
That assertion is not backed up by US intelligence, sources informed NCS.
It was one in every of a number of claims about threats from Iran made publicly by the Trump administration because it lays the groundwork for attainable navy motion, whilst they proceed to say the US president desires to succeed in a diplomatic resolution.
An unclassified assessment from the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) from 2025 mentioned that Iran could develop a “militarily-viable” intercontinental ballistic missile by 2035 “should Tehran decide to pursue the capability.”
According to 2 sources, the declare that Iran will soon have a missile able to hitting the US is not backed up by intelligence — there is no intelligence to recommend that Iran is pursuing an ICBM program to hit the US at the moment, the sources mentioned.
Iran does, nonetheless, possess quick vary ballistic missiles that could threaten US bases and personnel in the area, as the administration has warned.
Three sources informed NCS there was no change in latest assessments about Iran’s intercontinental ballistic missile aspirations.
The White House and State Department did not reply to a request for remark earlier than publication.
Speaking to reporters Friday, Trump mentioned that he is “not happy” with ongoing negotiations between the US and Iran over that nation’s nuclear program, saying that Iran was “not willing to give us what we have to have.”
He mentioned he had not “made a final decision” on whether or not he would proceed with navy strikes, saying that there can be further discussions.
The US has amassed its largest assortment of navy {hardware} in the Middle East since the invasion of Iraq in 2003 as Trump has repeatedly steered he would possibly take navy motion towards Iran.
The matter of Iranian missile know-how did not come up in a briefing with Secretary of State Marco Rubio, CIA Director John Ratcliffe and the “Gang of Eight” congressional leaders this week, sources acquainted with the briefing mentioned.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi mentioned in an interview launched this week that his nation was not growing long-range missiles.
“We have deliberately limited the range of our missiles to 2,000 kilometers,” he informed India Today TV, saying the missiles have been for protection.
Pressed on Trump’s declare that Iran could “soon” have missiles that could attain the US, Rubio mentioned he would not speculate “as to how far away they are,” however mentioned Iran is “certainly” attempting to attain intercontinental ballistic missiles.
“You’ve seen them increasing the range of the missiles they have now, and clearly they are headed in the pathway to one day being able to develop weapons that could reach the continental US,” he informed reporters at a press convention in St. Kitts Wednesday.
He argued that Iran’s refusal to debate its ballistic missile program in negotiations is “a big problem.” The rounds of discussions between Washington and Tehran have, up to now, solely targeted on nuclear points.
Asked about the DIA report on Iranian intercontinental ballistic missile growth, Rubio mentioned, “I won’t comment on assessments or anything that the Intelligence Community says. Suffice it to say that it’s a threat. We can see that it’s possible.”
“Beyond just the nuclear program they possess these conventional weapons that are solely designed to attack America and attack Americans, if they so choose to do so. These things have to be addressed,” the high US diplomat mentioned.
On the nuclear program, Rubio acknowledged that Iran is “not enriching right now,” however mentioned “they’re trying to get to the point where they ultimately can.”
However, Special Envoy Steve Witkoff – one in every of two important US negotiators – claimed in an interview launched final Saturday that Iran was “probably a week away from having industrial-grade bombmaking material.” That declare got here regardless of the Trump administration’s repeated assertions that the US had “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear program in navy strikes final yr.
According to a supply, intelligence exhibits that Iran is actively attempting to construct again its enrichment functionality, together with putting in further centrifuges, getting again on-line centrifuges that survived navy strikes final yr, and rebuilding services – lots of which have been broken or destroyed – wanted to weaponize the enriched uranium.
However, sources and specialists say that work would take far longer than per week. And, based on a supply, the work to construct again the nuclear program is occurring in locations that are not prone to be impacted by navy strikes.
NCS’s Alejandra Jaramillo contributed to this report