A preliminary U.S. intelligence assessment suggests that recent airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities failed to destroy its atomic capabilities, setting the program back by only a few months. According to three anonymous sources, the U.S. Defence Intelligence Agency concluded that Iran’s enriched uranium stocks remain largely unaffected. This contradicts President Donald Trump’s earlier assertion that the strikes had completely obliterated Tehran’s nuclear infrastructure.
The White House dismissed the intelligence findings as “flat out wrong,” while Trump lashed out at news organizations reporting the assessment. In a social media post, he accused CNN and The New York Times of spreading “fake news” and insisted that Iran’s nuclear sites were “completely destroyed.” However, his administration later told the UN Security Council that the strikes had only “degraded” Iran’s program, a less definitive claim than his initial statements.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that his country’s 12-day air campaign had eliminated the threat of nuclear annihilation from Iran. Israel’s surprise strikes targeted nuclear facilities and military leaders, dealing Tehran its worst blow since the 1980s Iran-Iraq War. Iran, however, maintains that its nuclear program is peaceful and retaliated with missile attacks on Israeli cities before both sides agreed to a ceasefire.
The fragile truce, brokered by Trump, has temporarily halted hostilities, but doubts remain over Iran’s next steps. With conflicting reports on the extent of damage to its nuclear program, the risk of renewed conflict persists. Analysts warn that if Iran resumes its atomic activities, further military action by the U.S. or Israel could follow, keeping the region on edge.