New intelligence reports from the United States show that Iran could still be up to three years away from developing a nuclear weapon, CNN reported. This assessment contrasts sharply with Israel’s claims that Iran is only months away from assembling an atomic bomb.

Israel had cited this urgency as a key reason for launching a military operation against Iran. The operation, named "Rising Lion," aims to stop Tehran’s nuclear development. However, US officials believe the situation is not as immediate as Israel suggests.

The differences in intelligence reports may also explain why the US has not directly joined Israel’s mission. According to officials, the Israeli airstrikes have only delayed Iran’s nuclear program by a few months, not years.

Despite the attacks, US President Donald Trump has maintained a firm stance: Iran must not get a nuclear weapon. Still, he has made it clear that the US doesn't want to be drawn into Israel’s military operation. Instead, Trump has urged Iran to return to the negotiating table before, as he put it, “it’s too late.”

The ongoing conflict, now in its fifth day, has taken a deadly toll. At least 225 people in Iran have died, including top military officials and nuclear scientists.

Satellite images show serious damage to the Natanz nuclear facility, one of Iran's main enrichment sites. Another research centre in Isfahan was also hit. However, the heavily guarded Fordow site has remained mostly untouched. Experts told CNN that Israel likely doesn't have the military power to damage Fordow without help from US forces and weapons.

The US intelligence update comes after Tulsi Gabbard, Director of National Intelligence, testified before the Senate in March. She said, “The intelligence community continues to assess that Iran is not building a nuclear weapon and Supreme Leader Khamenei has not authorised the nuclear weapons program he suspended in 2003.”

When questioned about the difference in views, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu avoided a direct answer. In an interview with Fox News, he said Israel had shared “clear” intelligence with the US.

“The intel we got, and we shared with the United States, was absolutely clear, was absolutely clear that they were working, in a secret plan to weaponise the uranium. They were marching very quickly,” Netanyahu said.

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