U.S. airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities last weekend did not destroy the core components of Tehran’s nuclear program and are believed to have only delayed it by several months, according to an early intelligence assessment reported by CNN on Tuesday.
The report, citing three sources familiar with the matter, revealed that while U.S. forces targeted Iran’s three main nuclear sites, Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant, Natanz Enrichment Complex, and another undisclosed location, the strikes fell short of fully eliminating centrifuges or destroying Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium.
Despite President Donald Trump’s repeated claims that Iran’s nuclear program had been “totally obliterated,” the assessment by the Pentagon’s Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) suggests otherwise.
The preliminary analysis, conducted by U.S. Central Command as part of a battle damage assessment, estimated that the strikes may have set Iran’s program back by less than six months.
Over a dozen bombs were reportedly dropped on the two best-known facilities, Fordow and Natanz, but the fortified nature of these sites, some buried deep underground, limited the extent of the destruction.
The New York Times also reported similar findings, confirming that while the strikes caused significant damage, they fell short of eradicating Iran’s nuclear capabilities.
The Biden administration has not officially confirmed the assessment, but White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt dismissed CNN’s reporting, calling it “flat-out wrong.” In a post on X (formerly Twitter), she also criticized the leak of what she claimed was “top secret” intelligence.
Iran has yet to release a comprehensive statement on the extent of the damage, but satellite images have shown smoke plumes and infrastructure damage at the targeted sites. Tehran maintains that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes, a claim long disputed by Washington and its allies.
The U.S. strikes followed weeks of rising tensions in the Gulf region, with fears of further escalation as both sides harden their positions.
Written By Rodney Mbua
