US intelligence finds Iran's deep nuclear sites survived airstrikes, delaying program by only months

Economic Times

6 hours ago

AP Iran nuclear sites survive US strikes says Pentagon report
A new Pentagon intelligence assessment suggests that the United States' dramatic airstrikes on Iran's nuclear facilities last week set back Tehran's atomic ambitions by only a few months, a finding that contradicts bold claims from President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth that Iran's capabilities were 'obliterated.'
The June 21 bombing campaign, executed by B-2 stealth bombers, targeted three of Iran's most fortified sites, Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan, using the GBU-57 "bunker buster," the most powerful conventional bomb in the US arsenal.
But according to three US officials who spoke on condition of anonymity, preliminary assessments from the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) reveal that the bombs did not penetrate deep enough to destroy Iran's most critical uranium enrichment infrastructure, much of which lies buried under mountains of reinforced concrete.However, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth strongly refuted those findings, telling reporters:'Based on everything we have seen and I've seen it all our bombing campaign obliterated Iran's ability to create nuclear weapons. The impact of those bombs is buried under a mountain of rubble in Iran.'
President Trump, in a televised address from the White House just hours after the strike, celebrated the mission as a "massive success," stating:'Our massive bombs hit exactly the right spot at each target and worked perfectly.'The tension between the intelligence and the administration's narrative has sparked concern among lawmakers. Some members of Congress, who have reviewed the DIA's findings, questioned the long-term effectiveness of the operation and the administration's transparency.In Tehran, the strikes ignited widespread panic. Residents fled city centers, bracing for further attacks. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi condemned the US strikes as 'reckless,' warning of "permanent consequences." Protests flared outside Western embassies, and fears of escalation ripple through the region.International nuclear experts remain cautious. Dr. James Acton of the Carnegie Endowment likened the strike to 'mowing the lawn, it looks clean today, but it grows back quickly.' Meanwhile, IAEA chief Rafael Grossi has called for immediate access to assess potential nuclear contamination and verify any damage to Iran's centrifuge networks.