US weighs military action on Iran despite intel showing no imminent nuclear threat, NYT reports

The Trump administration is actively weighing military action against Iran, even as U.S. and Israeli intelligence agencies assess that Tehran’s nuclear program does not present an imminent threat, according to American and European officials cited in a special report by The New York Times. Six months after U.S. airstrikes in June targeted Iranian nuclear facilities, there is reportedly little evidence that Iran has resumed high-level uranium enrichment or moved decisively toward building a nuclear warhead.

Rhetoric and Military Buildup

President Donald Trump has repeatedly warned Iran in recent months, stating last June that future attacks would be “far greater and a lot easier” if Tehran did not “make peace.” White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly reiterated that the president’s position remains unchanged, emphasizing that “the world’s number one state sponsor of terror can never be allowed to possess a nuclear weapon.” The Pentagon has reinforced this stance with a significant military buildup in the Middle East, including the deployment of the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier, fighter jets, missile defenses, and tens of thousands of troops.

Intelligence Assessments and Political Concerns

Intelligence agencies believe Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium, struck last year, remains buried and inaccessible, reducing the likelihood of rapid weapons development—though tunneling continues at nuclear sites near Natanz and Isfahan. During a Senate hearing, Secretary of State Marco Rubio acknowledged uncertainty about what might follow a collapse of Iran’s leadership, noting power is divided between Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. Some Democratic lawmakers have criticized the administration’s approach, calling instead for a “permanent and verifiable agreement” to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons.