Democratic Senator Mark Warner, vice chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, has criticized President Donald Trump for disregarding US intelligence assessments that continue to show Iran is not pursuing nuclear weapons.
In an interview with MSNBC on Wednesday, Warner stated that despite Israel’s recent military strikes and rising tensions, the US intelligence community maintains its long-standing position that Iran has not taken steps toward building a nuclear bomb. “We were briefed again this Monday, and nothing has changed,” he emphasized.
This contradicts President Trump’s claims made Tuesday on Truth Social, where he stated he believes Iran was “very close” to acquiring nuclear weapons, justifying Israeli military action. Trump’s remarks also stand in stark contrast to the assessment delivered by his own director of national intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, who testified earlier this year that Iran is not building a nuclear weapon and that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has not revived a weapons program since halting it in 2003.
When reporters reminded Trump of Gabbard’s statement, he brushed it off, saying, “I do not care what she said.”
Warner denounced the president’s approach as “foreign policy by tweet” and warned of the consequences of dismissing verified intelligence in favor of political narrative. “If I, as vice chairman of the Intelligence Committee, don’t know what our strategy is, how can the American people possibly understand what’s going on?” he said.
The senator’s remarks come amid escalating conflict between Israel and Iran. Israeli airstrikes have targeted multiple nuclear-related facilities across Iran, including enrichment infrastructure and centrifuge sites in Natanz. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has not confirmed that Iran’s nuclear activities are weapons-related, and Tehran continues to insist its program is entirely peaceful.
Trump has floated the possibility of joining Israel’s campaign and has issued an ultimatum for Iran’s “unconditional surrender,” boasting of US control over Iranian airspace and calling Ayatollah Khamenei an “easy target.” Tehran, however, has vowed to defend itself and warned that any military attack will be met with strong retaliation.
