Trump Disagrees With Intel Chief Gabbard, Says Stopping Israel's Iran Strikes ‘Very Hard’

US President Donald Trump on Friday publicly rejected an earlier assessment by his Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, who had told Congress that Iran was not actively building a nuclear weapon. 

Speaking after a political fundraiser in New Jersey, Trump said: “She’s wrong,” when informed about Gabbard's testimony.

DNIGabbard on X

Gabbard had later clarified on X that her comments were taken out of context, stating that US intelligence believes Iran could assemble a nuclear weapon within weeks or months if it chose to do so. 

“President Trump has been clear that can’t happen, and I agree,” she said.

The disagreement comes amid Trump's ongoing deliberations over whether to authorize US military intervention in the Israel-Iran conflict, particularly targeting Iran’s Fordo nuclear facility, which is heavily fortified and difficult to reach except with specialized "bunker-buster" bombs.

While the White House had earlier suggested there was still a “substantial chance” for diplomatic negotiations with Tehran, Trump sounded less optimistic on Friday, saying that halting Israel’s strikes on Iran may be “very hard” even if a ceasefire deal were pursued.

The situation continues to fuel rising concerns internationally, as Russia warns of global escalation and Iran demands UN intervention, highlighting the growing risks of a broader war in the Middle East.

Meanwhile, India continues to carry out evacuations of its citizens from the conflict zones under Operation Sindhu as tensions soar across the region.