CIA Director John Ratcliffe has told US President Donald Trump that the intelligence agency has serious doubts about an agreement with Iran, particularly Tehran's willingness to make a series of nuclear concessions, according to a report.
Axios reported on Tuesday that Ratcliffe, along with Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, expressed concerns about the agreement, while Vice President JD Vance and US envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner advocated for it. The report said Trump and his advisers held a series of high-level meetings to discuss the deal.
High-Level Meetings and Intelligence Review
During those meetings, Trump and his team reviewed intelligence that indicated Iranian officials were discussing the agreement internally in a manner “inconsistent with what they were telling the mediators and the US,” according to the report. Ratcliffe and Rubio argued that the intelligence raised doubts about whether Iran would agree to take the nuclear-related steps sought by Washington.
"President Trump listens to all opinions on any given issue -- but everyone understands he is the final decision-maker," a White House official said. The agreement “meets all of the red lines that the administration has long articulated by ensuring that Iran can never possess a nuclear weapon, they cannot keep their highly enriched uranium, and they cannot hold the world's energy supply hostage," the official added.
Internal Divide and Final Decision
The report highlights a clear divide within the administration: Ratcliffe, Rubio, and Hegseth opposing the deal, while Vance, Witkoff, and Kushner support it. The White House official emphasized that Trump ultimately makes the final call, weighing all perspectives. The debate underscores the complexity of negotiating with Iran and the challenges in verifying compliance.
