Washington, D.C. – The U.S. military’s recent strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities last weekend have sparked heated debate, with early intelligence assessments revealing mixed results about the effectiveness of the operation.
Early Intelligence Report on Iran’s Nuclear Damage
According to two individuals familiar with an early intelligence assessment conducted by the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), the bombing of three Iranian nuclear sites didn’t completely destroy Iran’s nuclear program, but it did set it back by several months.
The assessment, which is still classified, states that the massive bunker-buster bombs dropped on the sites during the strike caused significant damage to structures above ground, though the lower-level structures largely remained intact. The report also suggests that some of the enriched uranium at the sites had been moved before the bombing.
While the initial findings indicate that some centrifuges survived, this early assessment contradicts public statements from President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who both insisted that Iran’s nuclear program had been “obliterated.”
Government’s Stand on the Success of the Attack
In a strong statement to the press, Secretary Pete Hegseth defended the attack, writing:
“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, and worked perfectly. The impact is buried under a mountain of rubble in Iran, so anyone who says otherwise is just trying to undermine the President and the successful mission.”
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt also dismissed the findings, calling the leak to CNN “a clear attempt to demean President Trump” and “discredit” the pilots involved in the mission.
She argued that the 14 bombs, each weighing 30,000 pounds, were perfectly executed, ensuring total destruction of Iran’s nuclear infrastructure.
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Reacts
In a Fox News interview on Tuesday, Rafael Mariano Grossi, the IAEA Director General, stated that Iran’s nuclear program had been significantly set back by the strikes, calling the difference in Iran’s nuclear capabilities “night and day.”
However, Grossi added that the IAEA had no information on where Iran had moved the enriched uranium and stressed the importance of resuming inspection activities to fully understand the impact of the bombing.
Grossi also confirmed that the strikes had hit the entrances of tunnels at Isfahan but noted that Fordow remains under assessment due to the difficulty in evaluating underground damage.
Iranian Response and Future Challenges
In response to the attacks, Amirhossein Sabeti, an Iranian parliament member, urged Iran’s parliament to block IAEA inspectors from observing Iran’s nuclear program. Sabeti claimed that Iran’s nuclear infrastructure remained intact and predicted a future blow to Israel.
Experts are divided on the impact of the strikes. Joseph Cirincione, Vice-Chair of the Center for International Policy, called the early intelligence report “devastating”, saying the strikes failed to achieve their objectives. He argued that the attack was “nothing but a $2 billion fireworks show.”
Meanwhile, David Albright, president of the Institute for Science and International Security, expressed skepticism about the report, suggesting that while the attack likely destroyed some centrifuges, it’s still unclear how much damage was done to Iran’s overall nuclear capabilities. He added that more analysis is needed to assess the full scope of the damage.
President Trump’s Comments on the Attack
In his latest comments, President Trump remained confident that the attack had successfully “demolished” Iran’s nuclear program. He told reporters, “I think it’s been completely demolished.”