Following Trump’s Iran-Israel ceasefire announcement, a Pentagon report has revealed that the US airstrikes caused only limited damage to Iran’s nuclear sites, and that as a result, their nuclear programme has suffered a setback of just a few months. Trump, in his earlier claim, had suggested that they were one of the “most successful military strikes in history” and that the Iranian sites were “obliterated”.
Intelligence assessment
The intelligence review was prepared by the US Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA). As per Reuters, the report acknowledged substantial damage at Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan. However, the nuclear infrastructure, such as the stockpile Uranium remained intact or was relocated before the strike.
Intelligence assessments of Iran’s key nuclear facilities revealed that approximately 400 kg of uranium—enriched to 60% purity, just 30% short of weapons-grade—was relocated ahead of the U.S. strikes. According to a report by the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), this stockpile, which holds potential for use in nuclear weapons production, may have been transferred to undisclosed nuclear sites still operated by Iran.
Trump’s claims: ‘Fake News’
Trump made a post on Truth Social saying that a “very successful attack” had been completed on the Iranian nuclear sites. He shared the statement of Steve Witkoff revealing that bunker buster bombs “obliterated” the sites. Rejecting the CNN, NYT and other intelligence reports that suggest otherwise, the White House affirmed damage to the nuclear bases, calling them “preposterous”.
“Fake News” said Trump as reports from CNN revealed that the centrifuges in Iran’s nuclear facilities remain mostly functional.
Israel, which conducted their own strikes before the US operation, also found less damage at Fordow than anticipated; however, it was earlier believed that the combined efforts may delay Iran’s nuclear ambitions by up to two years, as reported by CNN. The long-standing doubts over whether the US’s Massive Ordnance Penetrators could penetrate Iran’s deeply buried nuclear sites.