Iran Could 'Declare Itself a Nuclear Weapons State' Soon: Intel Committee Chair

The chair of the House Intelligence Committee says Iran could soon declare a very big, and very unwelcome, escalation. Speaking Sunday on Face the Nation, Republican Mike Turner was decrying Biden administration policies regarding Iran. "What we see now with this administration, [Iran] might declare themselves a nuclear weapons state by the end of this year, with the reports have been—news reports have been out stating that there is a possibility," Turner said. Asked by host Margaret Brennan whether Iran's supreme leader has changed his conclusion on Iran's nuclear capability, Turner essentially repeated the same answer.

"There is a possibility, with the advances that have been made under the Biden administration's policy, that Iran could, reports are out, that Iran could declare itself a nuclear weapon state by the end of the year, if—and you would not have had that," he said. Pressed by Brennan on whether that conclusion has actually been made, Turner said it has not. He said Donald Trump's White House put more pressure on Iran than any other administration: "They were on the ropes," he said, suggesting Iran would not be on the brink of nuclear capability if Trump were still president. More from the appearance at CBS News. (More Iran stories.)