The White House says Iran can produce nuclear weapons in ‘a few weeks’

The White House on Thursday stated definitively that Iran could produce nuclear weapons in “a few weeks” after being given the green light from Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

“Let’s be very clear, Iran has everything that is needed to reach nuclear weapons,” said the Press Secretary of the White House Karoline Leavitt at its briefing. “All they need is the decision of the highest leader to do that.”

“And it takes a few weeks to complete the production of the weapon, which of course will cause existential threats not only for Israel but also to the United States and the whole world,” he continued.

How close Iran to develop nuclear weapons that can be used has become the center of Israeli-Iran conflict, with a sustainable debate about the potential of the “runaway time schedule” as soon as this country is piled up a lot of weapons levels enriched with weapons levels.

The last time the US gave officials, the time line of public escape was in July 2024 when Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that Iran would be needed one to two weeks to enrich enough uranium with 90% purity to get the fissile material needed for nuclear weapons.

“After you are 60 years old [percent enrichment]You are 90% of the road there. Basically, you are a nuclear weapon state threshold, which basically Iran becomes, “State Secretary Marco Rubio said in an interview last month.

But if Iran produces adequate weapons level uranium, most experts estimate that it will require Iran between several months to two years to really make a nuclear warhead that can be delivered.

In March, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard testified that the intelligence community concluded that Iran did not “build” nuclear bombs and that the highest leader had not given authority to the person to be built.

Trump, when asked about Gabbard’s testimony this week, refused, said: “I don’t care what he says, I think they are very close to having it.” Gabbard then insisted he and Trump were in the same page – that Iran was “close” to get weapons – and that his testimony was misinterpreted.

The intelligence community, however, considers that the Iranian enriched uranium supply is at the highest level and has never happened before for a country without nuclear weapons, Gabbard testified.

The decision to attack within two weeks, said Trump

All eyes are on what Trump will do next when Israel and Iran continue to trade, which according to Israel will increase after Iran’s missiles crashed into a hospital in Beersheba.

The White House said on Thursday that he would make a choice whether to take military action against Tehran in the next two weeks.

“‘Based on the fact that there is a great opportunity for negotiations that may or may not occur with Iran in the near future, I will make a decision whether to enter or not in the next two weeks or not.’ That’s a direct quote from the president for all of you today, “said Leavitt.

Trump met with an advisor in the situation room three times this week after leaving the G7 Summit earlier due to tension in the Middle East. He approved the plans of the attack presented to him but was waiting to see whether Iran was willing to negotiate and had not made a final decision, the source who was familiar with the problem told ABC News.

He was ready for another situation space meeting on Friday before attending a private fundraising that night in Bedminster, New Jersey, before returning to the White House on Saturday afternoon where he would get more intelligence briefings that night and Sunday night.

Leavitt said that Trump’s decision would be partially based on “instincts” because he faced different pressures from all parties, including divisions at the Republican base between isolationists and Israel Hawks.

“Look, the President hears all votes throughout the country, and he makes decisions based on instincts,” Leavitt said. “And he always says diplomacy is his first choice.”

ABC News White House Correspondent Mary Bruce asked Leavitt what made Trump believe there was a great opportunity for negotiations, but Leavitt refused to describe his thoughts.

“I will not enter into reasons and reasons,” he said. “The president believes that, but that’s his position and he will make a decision in the next two weeks.”

The White House says the correspondence continues between the United States and Iran, although it does not track whether the US special messenger to the Middle East Steve Witkoff will attend a conversation in Geneva between European and Iran leaders.

Meanwhile, Israel on Thursday made a strong statement that said Iran’s supreme leader could not continue to “exist” – Encourage the question whether Israel now wants a regime change in Iran. Leavitt was asked on Thursday whether the US would be involved in such a scenario.

“The current priority of the president is to ensure that Iran cannot obtain nuclear weapons and provide peace and stability in the Middle East,” Leavitt said.

Correspondent ABC News Chief Global Affairs Martha Raddatz contributed to this report.