US President Donald Trump has called top US intelligence chiefs "extremely passive and naive", even suggesting they "should go back to school".

Key points: Mr Trump slammed US intelligence over Iran, North Korea and Syria

Mr Trump slammed US intelligence over Iran, North Korea and Syria He pointed to progress in Afghanistan and Syria as markers of Middle East success

He pointed to progress in Afghanistan and Syria as markers of Middle East success Senator Angus King said Mr Trump should listen to the people paid to give him information

His comments came in a morning Twitter tirade a day after leaders of the US intelligence community contradicted his views on major foreign policy issues during their congressional testimony.

The officials — which included director of National Intelligence Dan Coats and CIA director Gina Haspel — said the nuclear threat from North Korea remained, and that Iran was not taking steps towards making a nuclear bomb.

The information the officials presented in Congress was polar opposite to Mr Trump's views on both countries, with the President frequently stating North Korea was moving towards denuclearisation, while claiming Iran were building their nuclear arsenal.

"The Intelligence people seem to be extremely passive and naive when it comes to the dangers of Iran. They are wrong!" Mr Trump said during a string of morning tweets.

He said Iran was "coming very close to the edge" and suggested: "Perhaps Intelligence should go back to school!"

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Mr Trump last year pulled out of an international nuclear deal with Iran put in place under his Democratic predecessor, Barack Obama, and reimposed sanctions on Tehran.

The US intelligence officials told the Senate Intelligence Committee Iran was not developing nuclear weapons in violation of the 2015 nuclear agreement, even though Tehran threatened to reverse some commitments after Mr Trump pulled the United States out of the deal.

Their assessments also broke with other assertions by Mr Trump, including on the threat posed by Russia to US elections, the threat Islamic State posed in Syria and North Korea's commitment to denuclearise.

Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats and CIA director Gina Haspel told politicians Pyongyang viewed its nuclear program as vital to the country's survival and was unlikely to give it up.

In response, Mr Trump tweeted there was actually a "decent chance of denuclearisation", drawing a comparison to the "horrendous" US-North Korea relationship under Mr Obama.

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Mr Trump also defended his decision to withdraw 2,000 US troops from Syria on grounds Islamic State no longer posed a threat, and pointed to the progress in peace talks in Afghanistan as markers of his success in the Middle East.

'People risk lives for intelligence he tosses aside'

Mr Trump has frequently clashed with leaders of the US intelligence community throughout his time in office, and some were quick to hit back at his comments, including former CIA director John Brennan — who had his security clearance revoked by Mr Trump after he was critical of the President.

John Brennan has attacked Donald Trump's foreign policy positions. ( Reuters: Gretchen Ertl )

"Your refusal to accept the unanimous assessment of US Intelligence on Iran, North Korea, ISIS, Russia, and so much more shows the extent of your intellectual bankruptcy," Mr Brennan tweeted.

"All Americans, especially members of Congress, need to understand the danger you pose to our national security."

Others also questioned the President's logic in not listening to his own intelligence team.

"The President has a dangerous habit of undermining the intelligence community to fit his alternate reality," the Senate Intelligence Committee's top Democrat, senator Mark Warner, wrote on Twitter.

"People risk their lives for the intelligence he just tosses aside on Twitter."

"It's still disturbing that the President doesn't seem to want to listen to the people whose job it is to give him this information," Intelligence committee member senator Angus King told CNN.

He added that Mr Trump's insistence on contradicting intelligence chiefs, particularly in relation to Russian meddling in US elections, "harms our ability to defend ourselves".

"He's telling the American people we have nothing to worry about, when in reality we have a lot to worry about," Senator King said.

Reuters