CIA Director warns Iran of 'tremendous costs' of no nuclear deal

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CIA Director John Brennan

CIA Director John Brennan warns that Iran will face "tremendous costs" if no nuclear deal is reached and it pursues the development of nuclear weapons.

"I think they realize there's going to be tremendous costs and consequences and implications if they were to decide to go for a breakout," Brennan said in an interview on "Fox News Sunday," reiterating the administration is committed to preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons, even if a deal fails. "If they decide to go down that route," he said, "they know they will do so at their peril."

The administration is in the midst of negotiations with Iran over its nuclear program, despite a deeply skeptical Republican Congress.

Asked about the ability to monitor Iran's nuclear activity, Brennan stressed "it's not a question of trusting the Iranians on this," adding the U.S. is in a position to "verify" Iranian pledges. And asked about a potential secret nuclear site in Iran, he responded only by expressing his confidence in U.S. intelligence services.

Brennan was also pressed about Iran's role in combating the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant in the Middle East.

"I wouldn't say Iran is an ally right now," Brennan said, even as he noted that Iran, like the U.S., has an interested in combating the extremist group.

"What I'm saying is, the Iranians are pursuing their interests inside of Iraq, some of which include efforts against Daesh [ISIL] and preventing that phenomenon from growing," he said.

Asked whether he was prepared to use the term "Islamic extremists" in describing radicals in the Middle East, Brennan replied, "I'm prepared to say they're extremists, they're violent terrorists who misrepresent what the Islamic religion is about, yes, absolutely."

Brennan was also asked whether many documents related to the raid that killed Osama bin Laden hadn't been released yet because they might paint a different, stronger picture of the state of Al Qaeda than the one the administration had offered.

"That's hogwash," Brennan said. "If anybody believes we're withholding documents because we believe [they are] embarrassing, that's absolutely wrong."