Trump May Oust Senior Officials Who Opposed Iran Deal, Says Report

Report suggests Trump may purge top officials who opposed the Iran accord as divisions emerge over Tehran's nuclear commitments.

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US President Donald Trump
Photo: AP/PTI

US President Donald Trump is reportedly considering removing several senior administration officials who opposed the recently announced Iran agreement, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and CIA Director John Ratcliffe, according to Clash Report.

Citing a senior US official, Clash Report on X said: "The argument has been settled. Those who opposed it may pay a personal price."

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“Trump is reportedly considering dismissing several senior officials who opposed the Iran deal, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and CIA Director John Ratcliffe,” Clash Report wrote on X

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The reported move comes amid revelations that Ratcliffe had warned senior US officials, including Trump, that intelligence gathered by American agencies raised doubts about Iran's willingness to make meaningful concessions on its nuclear programme, according to an earlier Axios report citing people familiar with the discussions.

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Axios reported that intelligence assessments suggested internal conversations among Iranian officials were not fully aligned with the assurances Tehran had provided to Washington and mediators. Ratcliffe and Secretary of State Marco Rubio reportedly argued that the intelligence cast doubt on whether Iran would ultimately accept key US nuclear demands.

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"The intelligence reflects that the Iranian intentions are not in line with their commitments under the deal," one source told Axios.

Hegseth also reportedly shared concerns about the memorandum of understanding during internal deliberations, while Vice President JD Vance and special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner were said to be among the agreement's supporters.

Despite the objections, Trump moved ahead with the framework, with a White House official telling Axios that the agreement "meets all of the redlines that the administration has long articulated by ensuring that Iran can never possess a nuclear weapon."

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The official added that Trump heard differing views from advisers but stressed that "everyone understands he is the final decision-maker."

The White House has not publicly commented on the reported plans to dismiss officials who opposed the agreement.

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