Washington (TDI): The Pentagon has said that recent US airstrikes on Iranian nuclear sites have potentially delayed Tehran’s nuclear ambitions by up to two years, a significantly longer setback than previously thought.
The strikes, which took place on June 22, targeted three of Iran’s most critical nuclear facilities. According to Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell, updated assessments within the US defense community suggest the operation “probably” pushed Iran’s program back by as much as 24 months.
“We have degraded their program by one to two years, at least that’s what current intelligence assessments inside the Department of Defense indicate,” Parnell told reporters during a briefing on Wednesday. He did not disclose further evidence to support the estimate.
The air assault involved the use of 30,000-pound bunker-buster bombs and over two dozen Tomahawk cruise missiles, aimed at sites believed to be central to Iran’s nuclear infrastructure.
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Initial assessments had been more cautious. A Defense Intelligence Agency report last week estimated a delay of only a few months. But US officials now claim that this preliminary view was based on limited data and has since been overtaken by newer intelligence pointing to more extensive destruction.
President Donald Trump, who ordered the strikes, had declared shortly after the operation that Iran’s nuclear program was “obliterated,” a sentiment echoed by Parnell in this latest press interaction.
“All of the intelligence we’ve reviewed so far suggests the targeted facilities have been thoroughly destroyed,” said Parnell.
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However, skepticism remains. Speaking over the weekend, Rafael Grossi, head of the UN nuclear watchdog (IAEA), cautioned that Iran could resume production of enriched uranium within a few months, casting doubt on claims of long-term disruption.
Nuclear analysts have also warned that Iran may have relocated some of its uranium stockpile prior to the strikes. The Fordow site, which was among those hit, had reportedly stored near weapons-grade enriched uranium. Some experts believe this material could have been moved to an undisclosed location.
Farkhund Yousafzai is an Associate Editor at The Diplomatic Insight.
