Washington DC - President Donald Trump on Sunday said that Tulsi Gabbard, his Director of National Intelligence, is "softer" than him when it comes to attempts to curb Iran's supposed nuclear ambitions.

"Yeah. Sure, I do," Trump told a reporter aboard Air Force One when asked if he still has confidence in Gabbard. "I mean she's a little bit different in her thought process than me, but that doesn't make somebody not available to serve."

"I would say that I'm very strong on the fact that I don't want Iran to have a nuclear weapon, because of they had a nuclear weapon they'd use it immediately. I think she's probably a little softer on that issue, but that's okay."

Trump went on to boast about his war of aggression on Iran, which has seen thousands of civilians killed and huge swathes of the country flattened with no clear endgame in sight.

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"They are decimated right now," Trump said. "They're gonna give up nuclear weapons, they're going to give us the nuclear dust, they're going to do everything that we want to do."

"And, you know what? They're going to go on and maybe have a great country again. But if they don't do that, they're not going to have a country... So, she's softer on that issue, but I have other people."

It's unusual for Trump to acknowledge disagreement between high-ranking officials within his administration, especially when it comes to the war with Iran.

His comments add credence to theories that suggesting a split between Trump and other top officials, such as Vice President JD Vance, who are thought to have opposed military action.