-Trump Iranian missile claim

U.S. President Donald Trump’s claim that Iran will soon have a missile that can hit the United States is not backed by U.S. intelligence reports, and appears to be exaggerated, according to three sources familiar with the reports, casting doubt on part of his case for a possible attack on the islamic Republic.



In his State of the Union address to Congress on Tuesday, Trump ⁠began making his case to the American public for why the U.S. could launch strikes against Iran, saying Tehran was “working on missiles that will soon reach” the United States.



But there have been no changes, two sources said, to an unclassified 2025 U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency assessment that Iran could take until 2035 to develop a "militarily viable intercontinental ballistic missile" (ICBM) from its existing satellite-lofting space-launch vehicles (SLV).



The White House declined to comment.



One source said that even if China or North Korea - which closely cooperate with Iran - provided technological assistance, Iran would probably take up to eight years at the earliest to produce "something that is actually ICBM level and operational."