Trump Claims Iran Near Nuclear Weapons and US-Range Missiles, Fact-Checkers Find Claims Unsupported

President Trump justified U.S. airstrikes on Iran by claiming that "an Iranian regime armed with long-range missiles and nuclear weapons would be a dire threat to every American," asserting Iran could "soon" have missiles capable of reaching the U.S. and had "attempted to rebuild" nuclear enrichment facilities. FactCheck.org and other fact-checkers found these claims contradicted by arms control experts and federal intelligence assessments. Experts disputed that Iran could soon have U.S.-range missiles and found no evidence Iran attempted to rebuild nuclear facilities damaged in previous strikes. Trump also falsely claimed the 2015 nuclear deal (JCPOA) gave Iran the right to nuclear weapons, a statement PolitiFact rated false. Arms control experts and intelligence community assessments concluded Iran's programs posed no imminent threat, suggesting the strikes were a war of choice rather than necessity. The disinformation was used to justify military action against a foreign nation.

"An Iranian regime armed with long-range missiles and nuclear weapons would be a dire threat to every American." — Statement made during press conference justifying U.S. airstrikes on Iran, claiming imminent threat from Iranian nuclear and missile capabilities