President Donald Trump told Congress this week that the U.S. targeted Iranian sites involved in a "nuclear weapons development programme," despite U.S. intelligence agencies stating no such program currently exists. His statement has sparked questions about whether his decision to strike Iran on Sunday was based on verified intelligence. In a letter dated Monday to House Speaker Mike Johnson, Trump wrote that U.S. forces had carried out precision strikes on three Iranian nuclear facilities linked to weapons development. The letter was later published on the White House website.

However, the latest U.S. intelligence, shared with Congress in March by Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, indicated that Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, had not ordered the resumption of its nuclear weapons program, which was halted in 2003. A source familiar with these reports confirmed to Reuters that this assessment had not changed. Iran maintains that its nuclear efforts are solely for peaceful purposes.

Trump’s claim drew comparisons to President George W. Bush's 2003 justification for invading Iraq over alleged weapons of mass destruction—a claim later discredited, leading to widespread criticism. Last week, Trump dismissed Gabbard's intelligence report, saying, "I don't care what she said. I think they were very close to having one." Gabbard later clarified via social media that U.S. intelligence showed Iran could potentially build a nuclear weapon within weeks or months if it chose to.

According to unclassified intelligence reports and the UN nuclear agency, Iran shut down its weapons program in 2003 and hasn’t fully developed the necessary technology since. Still, experts believe Iran has the knowledge to eventually build a warhead. On Sunday, the U.S. bombed three nuclear sites in Iran — Natanz, Isfahan, and the underground Fordow facility — using bunker-busting bombs. While Trump claimed the sites were destroyed, a preliminary U.S. assessment found the attacks may have only delayed Iran’s nuclear progress by a few months. A more detailed report is expected soon.