U.S. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard announced on Wednesday that the damage inflicted by American B2 bombers on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure was so extensive that any attempt to rebuild the sites would take years.
“New intelligence confirms what POTUS has stated numerous times: Iran’s nuclear facilities have been destroyed. If the Iranians chose to rebuild, they would have to rebuild all three facilities (Natanz, Fordow, Esfahan) entirely, which would likely take years to do,” Gabbard posted on X.
She also denounced media coverage from outlets like CNN and The New York Times, accusing them of misrepresenting classified intelligence through unauthorized leaks in order to minimize the accomplishments of the U.S.-Israeli operation.
“The propaganda media has deployed their usual tactic: selectively release portions of illegally leaked classified intelligence assessments (intentionally leaving out the fact that the assessment was written with ‘low confidence’) to try to undermine President Trump’s decisive leadership and the brave servicemen and women who flawlessly executed a truly historic mission to keep the American people safe and secure,” she wrote.
On Tuesday night, President Trump dismissed the reports from CNN and The New York Times, which cited anonymous sources suggesting the recent airstrikes had limited effect.
“Fake news CNN, together with the failing New York Times, have teamed up in an attempt to demean one of the most successful military strikes in history. The nuclear sites in Iran are completely destroyed! Both the Times and CNN are getting slammed by the public!” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
Trump also highlighted remarks from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who disputed the negative reporting and stood by the outcome of the strike campaign.
“Based on everything we have seen — and I’ve seen it all — our bombing campaign obliterated Iran’s ability to create nuclear weapons,” said Hegseth.
He continued, “Our massive bombs hit exactly the right spot at each target—and worked perfectly. 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.”
Earlier in the day, the White House released a series of confirmations from various sources, attesting to the destruction of the three targeted nuclear sites. Among them was the Israel Atomic Energy Commission, which issued a firm statement: “The devastating US strike on Fordo destroyed the site’s critical infrastructure and rendered the enrichment facility inoperable. We assess that the American strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities, combined with Israeli strikes on other elements of Iran’s military nuclear program, has set back Iran’s ability to develop nuclear weapons by many years. The achievement can continue indefinitely if Iran does not get access to nuclear material.”
{Matzav.com}
