An annual intelligence report to Congress has dropped language stating that Iran’s nuclear weapons ambitions are a future option. The revision comes as U.S. intelligence agencies recently altered a controversial 2007 intelligence assessment that said Iran halted work on nuclear arms in 2003 and was keeping open its options for building an atomic weapon.
The deleted language also had stated for two years that Iran was keeping open the option to build atomic weapons. However, the latest report to Congress, which was made public Feb. 23, no longer states that Iran’s building a weapon is an option.
A U.S. official insisted there was no “sleight-of-hand” in the change but could not explain why the recent report was altered from two previous versions.
The omitted language is expected to be included in the prepared statement of Director of National IntelligenceJames Clapper when he appears before the Senate Armed Services Committee this week.
U.S. officials declined to discuss the revision to the 2007 National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) with regard to Iran’s nuclear program, saying there are no plans to make the changes public, although Congress will be briefed formally next week.