A preliminary U.S. intelligence report suggests strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities have delayed the programme by only a few months, contradicting President Donald Trump’s assertion that it was completely destroyed.
A preliminary U.S. intelligence assessment has concluded that last weekend’s strikes on Iranian nuclear sites have only modestly disrupted Tehran’s programme, according to three sources familiar with the matter who spoke to Reuters.
The classified report, prepared by the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), found that Iran’s nuclear efforts may have been set back by just one or two months. This stands in contrast to President Trump and senior administration officials, who claimed the operation had "completely and fully obliterated" Iran’s nuclear capabilities.
Over the weekend, the U.S. used a mix of bunker-busting bombs and conventional munitions to target key Iranian nuclear sites, including those at Fordow, Isfahan and Natanz. The Pentagon maintains that the strikes were successful, but a full damage assessment remains ongoing and is complicated by limited access and conflicting intelligence.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth defended the strikes, saying the bombs "hit exactly the right spot at each target—and worked perfectly." He added that any claims suggesting minimal damage were politically motivated attempts to discredit the President and the military mission.
Still, one source told Reuters that Iran’s enriched uranium stockpiles were not destroyed, and that the programme remains largely intact. Another official, speaking on condition of anonymity, acknowledged that the U.S. still does not have a complete picture of the damage.
The White House, in a statement to CNN, rejected the DIA’s conclusions. Press secretary Karoline Leavitt called the assessment "flat-out wrong," stating that "everyone knows what happens when you drop fourteen 30,000-pound bombs perfectly on their targets: total obliteration."
Initial intelligence evaluations are often revised as more data becomes available, and the differing opinions among agencies are not unusual. However, the report has added to political scrutiny, particularly among Democrats.
"There's zero evidence that I've seen that the nuclear programme was completely and totally obliterated as Donald Trump has claimed," said Democratic House Leader Hakeem Jeffries on Monday.
Classified briefings for lawmakers on the issue were unexpectedly cancelled on Tuesday.
The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen said late Monday that it intercepted and destroyed two ballistic missiles laun...
The feature film “44”, set against the backdrop of Azerbaijan’s 44-day war in 2020, premiered...
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Russia hit at least six energy targets in deadly strikes across Ukraine, showing Moscow is unwilling t...
One person was killed and nearly a dozen hurt in a fresh attack on Riyadh's international airport on Sunday, Saudi authorities reported, a day after a strike claimed by Yemen's Houthis killed 13 people and wounded more than 300.
Yemen's Houthis renewed warning to airlines, airport workers, and travellers against using Saudi airports, saying the warning should be taken seriously and that the kingdom “bore responsibility for failed interceptions”, a day after an attack on Riyadh's international airport that killed 12 people.
The Houthi movement has escalated their attacks on Saudi Arabia, targeting the airport in Riyadh and other cities, killing more than a dozen people.
The Kremlin on Monday rejected a 60-day ceasefire idea proposed by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to allow his country to hold presidential elections, saying it wanted an overall peace deal instead.
The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen said late Monday that it intercepted and destroyed two ballistic missiles launched by the Houthi group toward Khamis Mushait in southwestern Saudi Arabia.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy says Russia hit at least six energy targets in deadly strikes across Ukraine, showing Moscow is unwilling to accept the energy ceasefire announced by U.S. President Donald Trump.
Climate activist Greta Thunberg joined high school students protesting outside a school in the Paris suburb of Saint-Denis on Tuesday, as a wave of student demonstrations continues across France.
North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has visited a newly opened defence museum displaying weapons developed under his leadership, including an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of reaching the United States.
Southeast Asian foreign ministers are set to discuss measures to tackle transboundary haze during preparatory meetings ahead of the ASEAN summit in November, as forest and land fires in Indonesia continue to affect air quality across the region, the Philippines said on Tuesday.
Britain's Prime Minister Andy Burnham has said the United Kingdom believes Iran was likely behind an alleged plot connected to RAF Fairford, a military airbase in Gloucestershire in England that has played a role in U.S. operations against Iran, escalating tensions between London and Tehran.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment