WASHINGTON — A new US intelligence report found that Iran’s nuclear program has only been set back a few months after US strikes targeted three of the country’s nuclear sites last week.
The report released by the US Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) – intelligence arm of the Pentagon – contradicts statements made by US President Donald Trump on Saturday night immediately following the conclusion of what he called a “targeted and precise” operation.
Trump said in a televised press conference along with his Vice President JD Vance, State Secretary Marco Rubio and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth that Washington’s strikes had “completely and fully obliterated” Iran’s nuclear sites.
Trump stated that Iran’s Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan nuclear facilities were dealt damage that sets them back years. The sites were attacked by the US’ 30,000 pound (13,600 kg) ‘bunker buster’ bombs.
While satellite imagery showed significant damage to the sites, the report suggests that most of the damage was contained to above ground structures.
At the Fordo uranium enrichment facility, Iran’s most well-protected site, located deep underground, the entrance has collapsed and the infrastructure has sustained damage, necessitating time for repairs.
However, the underground infrastructure remains intact, as stated by an official familiar with the situation. The report’s findings also showed that some of Iran’s highly enriched uranium was moved out of multiple sites before the US strikes began and survived.
The report asserted that Tehran had moved the uranium to other secret nuclear facilities it maintains. The DIA also found that most of Iran’s centrifuges are largely intact.
The White House strongly pushed back on the assessment, calling it “flat-out wrong.”
“The leaking of this alleged assessment is a clear attempt to demean President Trump, and discredit the brave fighter pilots who conducted a perfectly executed mission to obliterate Iran’s nuclear program,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement.
“Everyone knows what happens when you drop fourteen 30,000 pound bombs perfectly on their targets: total obliteration,” she added.
Trump has said in comments and posts on social media in recent days, including Tuesday, that the strikes left the sites in Iran “totally destroyed” and that Iran will never rebuild its nuclear facilities.
Netanyahu said in a televised statement on Tuesday that, “For dozens of years I promised you that Iran would not have nuclear weapons and indeed ... we brought to ruin Iran’s nuclear program."
Netanyahu, speaking a day after Trump announced a US, Qatari-brokered ceasefire between the two nations, claimed that their 12-day campaign on Iran was a “historic victory”.
“We removed two imminent existential threats – the annihilation threat by nuclear bombs and the annihilation threat with 20 thousand ballistic missiles.”
Iran said on Tuesday that it was ready to return to the negotiating table with the United States. Tehran however asserted that it will always continue to defend its “legitimate rights” and will respond to any Israeli breach of the current truce. — Euronews
