"Trump alleged that Iran posed a direct threat to the US and that the country was working to build missiles that will soon reach the United States of America. But that claim has not been backed up with evidence by the White House or the Pentagon, and US intelligence reports from just last year say that it would take Iran 10 years to develop an intercontinental ballistic missile that could reach the US."
"A public US defense intelligence agency assessment from 2025 says that Iran could use its space-launch vehicles to develop a militarily-viable ICBM by 2035 should Tehran decide to pursue the capability. But that threat to the US homeland, as laid out in the document, pales in comparison to the ones already presented by Russia and China, as well as other hostile states like North Korea."
"In remarks to the press on Thursday, the US secretary of state and national security adviser, Marco Rubio, sought to square the circle by hedging Trump's remarks without directly contradicting the president. They are trying to achieve intercontinental ballistic missiles, he said, adding he wouldn't speculate how long it would take."
Trump's State of the Union address claimed Iran posed a direct threat to the US and was developing missiles capable of reaching American territory. However, this assertion lacks supporting evidence from the White House or Pentagon. US intelligence reports indicate Iran would need approximately 10 years to develop an intercontinental ballistic missile. A 2025 defense intelligence assessment suggests Iran could develop such capability by 2035 if pursued, but this threat is considered less significant than those from Russia, China, and North Korea. The annual US intelligence community threat assessment made no mention of direct military threats from Iran's ballistic missile program to the US homeland. Secretary of State Marco Rubio attempted to reconcile Trump's claims without directly contradicting the president, suggesting Iran is progressing toward developing weapons that could eventually reach the continental US.
#iran-military-threat #us-foreign-policy #ballistic-missiles #intelligence-assessment #military-intervention
Read at www.theguardian.com
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