Washington DC [US], June 25 (ANI): US President Donald Trump on Tuesday reaffirmed Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth’s assertion that the US military “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear weapons capabilities. The comments, however, stand in contrast to preliminary intelligence assessments indicating that the strikes caused only limited setbacks to Iran’s nuclear infrastructure.
Trump amplified Hegseth’s remarks via a post on his social media platform Truth Social, stating, “Based on everything we have seen—and I’ve seen it all—our bombing campaign obliterated Iran’s ability to create nuclear weapons. Our massive bombs hit exactly the right spot at each target and worked perfectly.”
Hegseth had made a similar claim, saying the US airstrikes rendered Iran incapable of continuing its nuclear weapons program. “The impact of those bombs is buried under a mountain of rubble in Iran, so anyone who says the bombs were not devastating is just trying to undermine the President and the successful mission,” Hegseth was quoted as saying by CNN.
However, CNN reported that early assessments from the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) and other US intelligence services paint a more cautious picture. According to seven individuals briefed on the evaluations, the attacks may have caused only temporary disruptions—delaying Tehran’s nuclear ambitions by a few months at best.
The US bombing campaign targeted Iran’s key nuclear facilities at Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan. While the strikes inflicted significant damage to above-ground structures, such as power stations and uranium conversion sites, CNN reported that critical underground enrichment systems were largely unaffected.
Intelligence officials said Iran had likely moved its enriched uranium stockpiles in advance and that most centrifuges remained operational. This contradicts claims that Iran’s nuclear capability had been fully neutralized.
B-2 bombers were used to drop more than a dozen 30,000-pound Massive Ordnance Penetrators (bunker-buster bombs), but long-standing concerns about their ability to penetrate deeply buried Iranian sites have resurfaced. Israel, which carried out its own strikes before the US offensive, also assessed less damage than anticipated, particularly at the Fordow site.
The gap between official claims and intelligence assessments has raised questions about the long-term effectiveness of the strikes and the administration’s messaging. According to CNN, internal reviews are ongoing to determine whether the damage will significantly impede Iran’s nuclear development or if Tehran can quickly resume its progress.
The military operations followed escalating hostilities between Israel and Iran earlier this month. The US strikes were launched Saturday and coincided with a fragile ceasefire that President Trump announced between the two nations. (ANI)
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