E-Paper
Can Iran's missiles reach the US and Europe? What Trump said vs what intelligence shows
Despite Donald Trump's assertions about Iran's missile threats, officials have offered a different perspective.
President Donald Trump has argued that Iran is building missiles that could “soon reach the American homeland,” a claim he repeated in a video message after US military strikes and during his State of the Union address. But US intelligence assessments do not currently back that assertion, reported CNN.
Sources familiar with intelligence findings told CNN there is no evidence that Iran is actively pursuing an intercontinental ballistic missile, or ICBM, program aimed at striking the United States at this time. A 2025 unclassified assessment from the Defense Intelligence Agency said Iran could develop a “militarily viable” ICBM by 2035 if it chose to pursue one, but that timeline stretches nearly a decade away.
What Trump and his team have said
Trump and senior administration officials have defended the recent strikes by citing what they describe as an escalating missile and nuclear threat from Tehran.
After the attacks, officials briefing reporters said Iran posed “an intolerable risk” due to its long-range missile development.
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Secretary of State Marco Rubio said he would not speculate on how close Iran is to achieving an ICBM but insisted Tehran is “certainly” moving in that direction. He also argued that Iran’s refusal to discuss its ballistic missile program during recent indirect talks was “a big problem.”
White House spokesperson Anna Kelly told CNN that the president was right to raise concerns about Iran potentially possessing intercontinental ballistic missiles.
What intelligence and experts indicate
According to CNN, three sources said there has been no recent change in intelligence assessments about Iran’s ICBM ambitions.
While Iran maintains a large arsenal of short- and medium-range ballistic missiles capable of hitting Israel, US bases in the region and parts of Europe, there is no intelligence showing an imminent capability to strike the US mainland.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told India Today TV that Tehran has “deliberately limited the range of our missiles to 2,000 kilometers,” describing them as defensive.
Nuclear concerns have also been contested.
Matthew Bunn of Harvard’s Kennedy School told USA Today that claims Iran is on the verge of building a nuclear weapon are overstated, saying, “It’s not true.”
US officials have acknowledged Iran holds uranium enriched to 60 percent purity, which could technically be further refined. However, analysts cited by CNN and USA Today said rebuilding enrichment facilities damaged in prior strikes would take far longer than a week.
