Initial findings from U.S. intelligence suggest that the recent airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear sites, carried out after earlier Israeli actions, fell short of the Trump administration’s claims of completely demolishing Tehran’s nuclear infrastructure.
According to reporting from CNN and The New York Times, officials with access to the classified intelligence say that Iran’s nuclear program remains largely functional. While the strikes may have delayed Iran’s progress, the interruption is estimated to last only a few months.
A key report by the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) contradicts the administration’s public narrative. Despite President Donald Trump declaring that the strikes “completely and totally obliterated” Iran’s enrichment capabilities and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth saying Iran’s nuclear program “have been obliterated,” the DIA’s evaluation suggests the effect was far more limited.
Officials familiar with the matter told CNN that Iran had already moved a significant portion of its enriched uranium before the attacks. Furthermore, the centrifuges—which are vital to the enrichment process—sustained little to no damage. At facilities like Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan, most of the destruction was reportedly confined to above-ground installations such as electrical grids.
The New York Times added that while entrances to some sites were blocked, the underground fortifications remained structurally sound. In Isfahan, Tomahawk missiles were employed, as there were doubts that even the most powerful bunker-busting bombs would be effective against the deeply buried structures.
In response to CNN’s coverage, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt issued a scathing rebuke.
“FAKE NEWS CNN STRIKES AGAIN: This alleged ‘assessment’ is flat-out wrong and was classified as ‘top secret’ but was still leaked to CNN by an anonymous, low-level loser in the intelligence community,” she posted on X.
She went on to say, “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.”
“Everyone knows what happens when you drop fourteen 30,000 pound bombs perfectly on their targets: total obliteration,” Leavitt emphasized.
General Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, adopted a more restrained approach. He said it remains “way too early” to determine if Iran’s nuclear arsenal is fully intact, though he acknowledged the targeted locations “sustained severe damage and destruction.”
