The US airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear sites did not destroy the country’s nuclear programme and likely only delayed it by a few months, according to a preliminary Pentagon intelligence assessment.
Sources familiar with the Defense Intelligence Agency’s evaluation told CBS News that Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile remains intact, and that its centrifuges suffered minimal damage.
The White House rejected the assessment, calling it the leak of a “low-level loser in the intelligence community” and describing it as “flat-out wrong.”
President Donald Trump insisted the nuclear sites were “completely destroyed,” accusing the media of launching “an attempt to demean one of the most successful military strikes in history.”
The US targeted three nuclear facilities — Fordo, Natanz, and Isfahan — using “bunker buster” bombs capable of penetrating 18 meters of concrete or 61 meters of earth.
Pentagon sources said much of the damage was limited to surface structures, and most underground enrichment equipment was left intact.
Entrances to two sites were sealed, and some infrastructure was destroyed. But the deeper facilities escaped serious harm.
The assessment suggests Iran may resume its programme within a few months, depending on how quickly it can excavate and repair the sites.
Sources also told CBS that some of Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile was moved before the attacks.
Despite this, US officials have insisted the mission against Iran’s nuclear programme was a success.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said, “Based on everything we have seen — and I’ve seen it all — our bombing campaign obliterated Iran’s ability to create nuclear weapons.”
He added, “Anyone who says the bombs were not devastating is just trying to undermine the President and the successful mission.”
But Democratic Congressman Brad Sherman expressed doubts.
“When they say obliterate the programme, they’re not even saying whether it’s obliterated the centrifuges and the ability to create uranium in the future or whether it is obliterating the stockpile,” he told the BBC.
“All indications, including Vice-President Vance’s statement, indicate that we don’t think we got the stockpile.”
Sherman also pointed to satellite images showing trucks at one of the facilities days before the strikes.
Iran has downplayed the impact on its nuclear programme.
Hassan Abedini, deputy political director of Iran’s state broadcaster, said the sites had been evacuated “a while ago” and that Iran “didn’t suffer a major blow because the materials had already been taken out.”
Still, the US and Israel have declared the operation a success.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, “We have removed two immediate existential threats to us — the threat of nuclear annihilation and the threat of annihilation by 20,000 ballistic missiles.”
A report by Saudi outlet Al Hadath, citing an unnamed Israeli source, claimed that most of Iran’s enriched uranium is buried under rubble.
Satellite images showed several craters and a wide ash layer above the Fordo site, but analysts say it’s unclear how much underground damage occurred.
David Albright, president of the Institute for Science and International Security, said the attack inflicted long-term disruption.
“It will take significant time, investment and energy,” he posted on X.
He added that Iran is “under intense scrutiny and observation from the United States and Israel” and risks further strikes if it rebuilds.
In retaliation, Iran launched a missile attack on Al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar, which houses US troops.
The attack was mostly intercepted and caused no casualties.
(BBC)
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