Washington (TDI): US airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities may have only briefly slowed Tehran’s nuclear program, according to individuals familiar with a preliminary American intelligence report. Despite public statements from President Donald Trump claiming the strikes “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, the internal assessment paints a more cautious picture, Reuters reported.
According to three people with direct knowledge of the findings, the report, said to be compiled by the Defense Intelligence Agency, suggests that Iran’s ability to enrich uranium remains largely intact. It is said that any disruption to the program may last no more than a couple of months.
These findings challenge the more confident narrative promoted by the White House. On his Truth Social account, President Trump strongly rejected the report, accusing major media organizations of misrepresenting the outcome of the strikes. “The nuclear sites in Iran are completely destroyed!” he wrote, dismissing reports by media as dishonest and politically motivated.
While the president labeled the strikes as a historic success, a more measured tone emerged from official US channels. In remarks to the United Nations Security Council, the administration said the operation had “degraded” Iran’s nuclear capabilities, a notable shift from earlier claims of total destruction.
Read More: Iran Denies Ceasefire Breach, Israel Orders Fresh Strikes
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also weighed in, stating that Israel’s military campaign, carried out alongside US efforts, had removed both the threat of a nuclear Iran and the risk posed by tens of thousands of ballistic missiles. “We have eliminated two significant threats to our survival,” he said in a statement shared by his office.
Fighting erupted on June 13 and quickly spiraled into one of the fiercest flare-ups the region has witnessed in recent memory. Israel launched a wave of airstrikes, claiming the targets were key to Iran’s alleged nuclear weapons development. Among those killed were reportedly some senior Iranian military officials.
Read More: Iran Moves to Cut IAEA Ties as Nuclear Sites Came Under Attack
Iran, denying the allegations and insisting its nuclear work is peaceful, hit back with missile attacks aimed at Israeli cities. The exchange brought both sides dangerously close to the edge, raising alarms across the international community.
By Tuesday, however, the temperature seemed to drop. Both Iran and Israel hinted at a pause in the fighting, following a ceasefire President Trump said he had arranged earlier that morning. Whether this truce holds or is just a breather before tensions flare up again remains an open question.
Farkhund Yousafzai is an Associate Editor at The Diplomatic Insight.
