America needs an honest reckoning over its spy agencies
Donald Trump says they missed an existential threat from Iran. Why should anyone trust their findings now?
The question of how far America has set back Iran’s nuclear programme clearly matters. That can be far less certain of any of the answers America is coming up with. While the strikes on Iran showed the supremacy of American air power, they also may have revealed a weakness in its national security. According to Donald Trump, the country’s spy agencies failed before the assault in a critical mission, assessing the threat posed by Iran’s nuclear programme. Mr Trump’s claim should heighten doubts now about intelligence reports and White House statements regarding the effectiveness of the air assault. Should anyone trust the conclusions? Which ones? Is the president getting it wrong himself?
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This article appeared in the United States section of the print edition under the headline “The looking-glass wars”
United States
July 5th 2025
From the July 5th 2025 edition
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