Pentagon: US strikes have set back Iran’s nuclear programme by two years

Reuters, Anadolu Agency

Iran’s nuclear programme has been set back by one to two years as a result of recent U.S. airstrikes, Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell said on Wednesday.

“We’ve degraded their programme by one to two years. Intelligence assessments within the department suggest the timeframe is probably closer to two years,” Parnell told reporters.

The U.S. assessment regarding damage to three key Iranian nuclear facilities — Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan — remains unchanged. According to Parnell, the sites were “completely obliterated”.

On 22 June, the US dropped six bunker-busting bombs on the Fordow nuclear facility. Simultaneously, dozens of submarine-launched cruise missiles targeted two other nuclear sites in Natanz and Isfahan. The strikes formed part of a broader US military campaign aimed at halting Iran’s nuclear ambitions.

Previously scheduled nuclear talks between Washington and Tehran, set for 15 June, were postponed after Israel launched airstrikes on Iranian military, nuclear, and civilian targets on 13 June.

The twelve-day conflict between Israel and Iran concluded with a U.S.-brokered ceasefire, which came into effect on 24 June.

“We believe Iran’s nuclear capability has been severely degraded — perhaps even their ambition to develop a nuclear bomb has been diminished,” Parnell stated, adding that assessments are still ongoing.

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