U.S. Strikes Failed To Destroy Core Components Of Iran’s Nuclear Program – Reports

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The recent United States strikes on Iranian nuclear sites set back Tehran’s program by only a matter of months, according to a preliminary U.S. intelligence assessment that was cited in reports by CNN, The New York Times and Reuters on June 25.

The preliminary assessment, which was prepared by the Pentagon’s Defense Intelligence Agency, found that the strikes did not destroy any core nuclear components and speculated that the Islamic Republic could restart its nuclear program in a matter of months.

The strikes on June 22 saw U.S. stealth bombers dropping over a dozen massive bunker busting bombs on Natanz and Fordow, two uranium enrichment plants buried deep underground. Nuclear attack submarines also launched more than two dozen cruise missiles at Isfahan, a research and development facility.

This came amid a large attack by Israel that began June 13 and ended abruptly eleven days later with a U.S.-brokered ceasefire.

The assessment is at odds with the statements of President Donald Trump who said that the strikes essentially eliminated Iran’s nuclear program.

The reports by CNN and The New York Times triggered Trump, who lashed out against the two American outlets on Truth Social.

“FAKE NEWS CNN, TOGETHER WITH THE FAILING NEW YORK TIMES, HAVE TEAMED UP IN AN ATTEMPT TO DEMEAN ONE OF THE MOST SUCCESSFUL MILITARY STRIKES IN HISTORY.

THE NUCLEAR SITES IN IRAN ARE COMPLETELY DESTROYED! BOTH THE TIMES AND CNN ARE GETTING SLAMMED BY THE PUBLIC!,” Trump wrote.

An Israeli intelligence assessment, cities in a later report by The Times of Israel, appeared just a bit more optimistic. It suggested that Iran’s nuclear program was set back by “several years” by Israeli and U.S. strikes, but acknowledged that it was not completely destroyed.

Meanwhile, Israeli military spokesman Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin said that it was still “too early” to assess the damage to Iran’s nuclear program.

“We met all the objectives of the operation as defined for us, even better than we thought. But it is still too early to determine, we are investigating the results of the strikes on the different sections of the nuclear program,” Defrin said in response to a question at a press conference.

“The assessment is that we significantly damaged the nuclear program, and I can say we set it back by years,” he said, basically confirming The Times of Israel’s report.

While it is still too early to assess the extent of damage at the targeted nuclear sites in Iran, all the available information indicates that not all is lost.

United Nations nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi on June 25 stated that Iran had taken “special measures” to protect its stocks of enriched uranium, noting that the Islamic Republic still has the nuclear technological know-how, as well as industrial capacity, and no one can deny it.

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