CIA Director John Ratcliffe has told President Trump and other senior officials that U.S. intelligence gathered raises serious doubts about Iran's willingness to make the nuclear concessions the U.S. is seeking in any final deal, according to three sources familiar with the discussions.
The friction point has exposed a divide within Trump's top team. Ratcliffe is not alone in his skepticism: Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth have both expressed concerns in internal discussions, while Vice President Vance and envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner have advocated for the deal, two sources said.
The assessments came during high-level meetings in the lead-up to Sunday's announcement. Intelligence from several U.S. agencies showed that the way Iranian officials discussed the deal among themselves was inconsistent with what they told mediators and the U.S., two sources said.
Ratcliffe and Rubio argued that based on that intelligence, they doubted Tehran would agree to terms. The internal opposition suggests significant hurdles remain before any agreement can be finalized, even as negotiations have reportedly progressed.
The CIA and the White House did not respond to requests for comment. The sources cautioned that the intelligence picture remains fluid and that Iran's position could shift as talks continue.