Donald Trump says ‘nothing was taken out' before Iran strike — Pete Hegseth & Dan Caine leave room for doubt
US President Donald Trump has asserted that Iran did not remove any enriched uranium or nuclear material from its key sites before the recent American military strikes. His statement, shared on Truth Social, aimed to put to rest questions raised by experts about whether Iran had the time or ability to transport sensitive nuclear material before the attack. Trump's post came shortly after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth addressed similar concerns in a press briefing at the Pentagon.
Trump insists 'nothing was taken out'
In a post on Thursday morning, Trump wrote: 'The cars and small trucks at the site were those of concrete workers trying to cover up the top of the shafts. Nothing was taken out of facility. Would take too long, too dangerous, and very heavy and hard to move.' The post came as speculation mounted over whether Iran had managed to move its highly enriched uranium away from the strike zone in time.
Defense officials echo Trump's view
Speaking at the Pentagon, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth echoed Trump's claims. 'I'm not aware of any intelligence that I've reviewed that says things were not where they were supposed to be — moved or otherwise,' Hegseth said. Meanwhile, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine avoided making a direct assessment, stating instead that the final battle damage evaluation was still pending and should be left to the intelligence community. 'We don't do battle damage assessments,' Caine said, emphasizing that the task lies with intelligence officials.
Hegseth defends use of the term 'obliterated'
Secretary Hegseth maintained that US weapons used in the strike had the capability to cause serious damage, referring to Iran's Fordow nuclear facility. 'That's why the Israelis, the Iranians, the IAEA, the UN — to a man and to a woman who recognized the capability of this weapon system — are acknowledging how destructive it's been,' he said. When pressed about his language, Hegseth defended the use of the term 'obliterated,' clarifying that his role allows him to use terms that might not be within Caine's purview. 'That's my lane,' Hegseth explained. 'So, I can use the word obliterated. He could use defeat, destroyed, assess, all of those things.'
Intelligence community to deliver final word
General Caine repeatedly referred questions back to the intelligence community. 'They look at a variety of things… all different sources of intel,' he noted. Hegseth added that recent confusion had been amplified by 'a great deal of irresponsible reporting based on leaks,' underscoring the need for clarity from verified sources.
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