US intel says strikes did not destroy Iran nuclear program
WASHINGTON: A classified preliminary US intelligence report has concluded that American strikes on Iran set back Tehran's nuclear program by just a few months — rather than destroying it as claimed by President Donald Trump.
US media on Tuesday cited people familiar with the Defense Intelligence Agency findings as saying the weekend strikes did not fully eliminate Iran's centrifuges or stockpile of enriched uranium.
The strikes sealed off entrances to some facilities without destroying underground buildings, according to the report.
White House Press Secretary Karline Leavitt confirmed the authenticity of the assessment but said it was 'flat-out wrong and was classified as 'top secret' but was still leaked.'
'The leaking of this alleged assessment is a clear attempt to demean President Trump, and discredit the brave fighter pilots who conducted a perfectly executed mission to obliterate Iran's nuclear program,' Leavitt posted on X.
'Everyone knows what happens when you drop fourteen 30,000 pound bombs perfectly on their targets: total obliteration,' she added.
US B-2 bombers hit two Iranian nuclear sites with massive GBU-57 bunker-buster bombs over the weekend, while a guided missile submarine struck a third with Tomahawk cruise missiles.
Trump called the strikes a 'spectacular military success' and said they had 'obliterated' the nuclear sites, while Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Washington's forces had 'devastated the Iranian nuclear program.'
General Dan Caine, the top US military officer, has struck a more cautious tone, saying the strikes caused 'extremely severe damage' to the Iranian facilities.
Iran's government said Tuesday that it had 'taken the necessary measures' to ensure the continuation of its nuclear program.
'Plans for restarting (the facilities) have been prepared in advance, and our strategy is to ensure that production and services are not disrupted,' the head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, Mohammad Eslami, said in a statement aired on state television.
An adviser to Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, meanwhile said his country still had stocks of enriched uranium and that 'the game is not over.'
Israel launched an unprecedented air campaign targeting Iranian nuclear sites, scientists and top military brass on June 13 in a bid to set back Tehran's nuclear efforts.
Trump had spent weeks pursuing a diplomatic path to replace the nuclear deal with Tehran that he tore up during his first term in 2018, but he ultimately decided to take military action.
The US operation was massive, with Caine saying it involved more than 125 US aircraft including stealth bombers, fighters, aerial refueling tankers, a guided missile submarine and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance aircraft.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Al Arabiya
2 hours ago
- Al Arabiya
Federal judge orders Trump administration to release EV charger funding in 14 states
A federal judge ordered the Trump administration to release billions of dollars in funding for the buildout of electric vehicle chargers in more than a dozen states. US District Judge Tana Lin in Washington state partially granted a preliminary injunction that sought to free up the money approved under then-President Joe Biden that the Trump administration withheld earlier this year. Sixteen states and the District of Columbia sued over the move, arguing that the administration did not have the authority to block the congressionally approved funds. The program was set to allocate $5 billion over five years to various states, of which an estimated $3.3 billion had already been made available. Lin ordered that funding be released in 14 of the states, including Arizona, California, and New York. But she denied granting the preliminary injunction for D.C., Minnesota, and Vermont, saying that they did not provide enough evidence that they would face irreparable harm if the money wasn't immediately freed up. Lin said the Trump administration overstepped its constitutional authority when it froze the funding previously approved by Congress in 2021 as part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. 'When the Executive Branch treads upon the will of the Legislative Branch and when an administrative agency acts contrary to law, it is the Court's responsibility to remediate the situation and restore the balance of power,' she wrote. The order will go into effect July 2 unless the Trump administration appeals. The Federal Highway Administration did not immediately respond to an email request for comment on the decision. The Trump administration in February directed states to stop spending money for electric vehicle charging under the program. The move was part of a broader push by the Republican president to roll back environmental policies advanced by his Democratic predecessor. States suing the Trump administration said the decision to freeze funding halted projects midstream, requiring immediate court intervention. California Attorney General Rob Bonta, a Democrat, said after the ruling that the Trump administration could not dismiss programs illegally. 'We are pleased with today's order blocking the Administration's unconstitutional attempt to do so, and California looks forward to continuing to vigorously defend itself from this executive branch overreach,' he said in a statement. The Trump administration argued that it was working on new guidance for the program and was only pausing future funding in the meantime. The program was meant to assuage concerns about electric vehicles and build infrastructure along highway corridors first, then address gaps elsewhere once the state highway obligations were met. Some states with projects running under the program have already been reimbursed by the Biden-era federal funds. Others are still contracting for their sites. Still more had halted their plans by the time the Trump administration ordered states to stop their spending. Regardless, getting the chargers installed and operating has been a slow process, with contracting challenges, permitting delays, and complex electrical upgrades. It was expected that states would fight against the federal government's efforts to slow the nation's electric vehicle charger buildout. New York, for example, which is part of the lawsuit, has been awarded over $175 million in federal funds from the program, and state officials say $120 million is currently being withheld by the Trump administration.
Arab News
2 hours ago
- Arab News
Israel claims victory as US intel says Iran nuclear sites not destroyed
JERUSALEM: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared a 'historic victory' against Iran despite a US intelligence report concluding that American strikes set back Tehran's nuclear program by just a few months. Iran and Israel agreed a ceasefire on Tuesday ending 12 days of tit-for-tat strikes, after US President Donald Trump joined the conflict with bunker-busting bombs at the weekend that he said destroyed key Iranian nuclear sites. A classified preliminary US intelligence report however, concluded that American strikes on Iran set back its nuclear program by just a few months. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed the authenticity of the assessment but said it was 'flat-out wrong.' In an address to the nation after the ceasefire announcement, Netanyahu said 'Iran will not have a nuclear weapon.' 'We have thwarted Iran's nuclear project,' he said. 'And if anyone in Iran tries to rebuild it, we will act with the same determination, with the same intensity, to foil any attempt.' Israel had said its bombing campaign, which began on June 13, was aimed at preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon, an ambition Tehran has consistently denied. Israel's military said that its strikes had set back Iran's nuclear program 'by years.' After Trump angrily berated both sides for early violations of the truce on Tuesday, Tehran announced it would respect the terms of the deal if Israel did the same, while Israel said it had refrained from further strikes. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said his country was willing to return to negotiations over its nuclear program, but that his country would continue to 'assert its legitimate rights' to the peaceful use of atomic energy. US media on Tuesday cited people familiar with the Defense Intelligence Agency findings as saying the American strikes did not fully eliminate Iran's centrifuges or stockpile of enriched uranium. The strikes sealed off entrances to some facilities without destroying underground buildings, according to the report. White House Press Secretary Leavitt responded on social media: 'The leaking of this alleged assessment is a clear attempt to demean President Trump, and discredit the brave fighter pilots who conducted a perfectly executed mission to obliterate Iran's nuclear program.' While Iran and Israel have been locked in a shadow war for decades, their 12-day conflict was by far the most destructive confrontation between them. Israeli strikes hit nuclear and military targets — killing scientists and senior military figures — as well as residential areas, prompting waves of Iranian missile fire on Israel. The war culminated in US strikes on underground Iranian nuclear sites using bunker-busting bombs — which Israel lacks — followed by an Iranian reprisal targeting the largest US military facility in the Middle East. Trump shrugged off that response as 'weak,' thanking Tehran for giving advance notice and announcing the contours of the ceasefire just hours later. Some Israelis welcomed the prospect of a truce. 'Everyone is tired. We just want to have some peace of mind,' said Tel Aviv resident Tammy Shel. 'For us, for the Iranian people, for the Palestinians, for everyone in the region.' In Iran, people remained uncertain whether the peace would hold. Amir, 28, fled from Tehran to the Caspian Sea coast and told AFP by phone, 'I really don't know... about the ceasefire but honestly, I don't think things will return to normal.' Israeli strikes on Iran killed at least 610 civilians and wounded more than 4,700, according to the health ministry. c, according to official figures and rescuers. The international community reacted with cautious optimism to the truce. Saudi Arabia and the European Union welcomed Trump's announcement, while Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russia hoped 'that this will be a sustainable ceasefire.' But French President Emmanuel Macron warned there was an 'increased' risk that Iran would attempt to enrich uranium secretly following the strikes on its nuclear sites. After the truce was announced, Israel's military chief Eyal Zamir said Israel's focus would now shift back to Gaza. The Israeli opposition, the Palestinian Authority and the main group representing the families of Israeli hostages all called for a Gaza truce to complement the Iran ceasefire.
Arab News
2 hours ago
- Arab News
Cuomo is trying a comeback in New York's mayoral primary, but Zohran Mamdani stands in his way
NEW YORK: New York City Democrats will decide Tuesday whether to reboot Andrew Cuomo's political career, elevate liberal upstart Zohran Mamdani, or turn to a crowded field of lesser-known but maybe less-polarizing candidates in the party's mayoral primary. Their choice could say something about what kind of leader Democrats are looking for during President Donald Trump's second term. The vote takes place about four years after Cuomo, 67, resigned as governor following a sexual harassment scandal. Yet he has been the favorite throughout the race, with his deep experience, nearly universal name recognition, strong political connections and juggernaut fundraising apparatus. The party's progressive wing, meanwhile, has coalesced behind Mamdani, 33, a self-described democratic socialist. A relatively unknown state legislator when the contest began, Mamdani gained momentum by running a sharp campaign laser-focused on the city's high cost of living and secured endorsements from two of the country's foremost progressives, Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Sen. Bernie Sanders. As results from early and mail-in voting began to roll in Tuesday, they showed a majority of voters had made Mamdani or Cuomo their top choice, with the rest of the field trailing. The candidates made a final push out in the city earlier in the day, sweating it out with voters on a sizzling summer day in which temperatures reached the triple digits. While initial returns were being released after the polls closed at 9 p.m. Tuesday, a winner might not emerge for a week because of the city's ranked choice voting system, which allows voters to list up to five candidates in order of preference. If a candidate is the first choice of a majority of voters, they win outright. If no candidate reaches that threshold, the tabulation of the rankings wouldn't begin until July 1. The primary winner will go on to face incumbent Mayor Eric Adams, a Democrat who decided to run as an independent amid a public uproar over his indictment on corruption charges and the subsequent abandonment of the case by Trump's Justice Department. Republican Curtis Sliwa, the founder of the Guardian Angels, will be on the ballot in the fall's general election. There is also a possibility that Cuomo runs on the November ballot as an independent candidate if he loses the primary. The mayoral primary's two leading candidates — one a fresh-faced progressive and the other an older moderate — could be stand-ins for the larger Democratic Party's ideological divide, though Cuomo's scandal-scarred past adds a unique tinge to the narrative. The rest of the pack has struggled to gain recognition in a race where nearly every candidate has cast themselves as the person best positioned to challenge Trump's Republican agenda. Comptroller Brad Lander, a liberal city government stalwart, made a splash last week when he was arrested after linking arms with a man federal agents were trying to detain at an immigration court in Manhattan. It was unclear if that episode was enough to jump-start a campaign that had been failing to pick up speed behind Lander. Among the other candidates are City Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, state Sen. Zellnor Myrie, hedge fund executive Whitney Tilson and former city Comptroller Scott Stringer. Mamdani's energetic run has been hard not to notice. His army of young canvassers relentlessly knocked on doors throughout the city seeking support. Posters of his grinning mug were up on shop windows. You couldn't get on social media without seeing one of his well-produced videos pitching his vision — free buses, free child care, new apartments, a higher minimum wage and more, paid for by new taxes on rich people. He would be the city's first Indian American and first Muslim mayor. That youthful energy was apparent Tuesday evening, as both cautiously optimistic canvassers and ecstatic supporters lined the streets of Central Brooklyn, creating a party-like atmosphere that spread from poll sites into the surrounding neighborhoods. Outside his family's Caribbean apothecary, Amani Kojo, a 23-year-old first-time voter, passed out iced tea to Mamdani canvassers, encouraging them to stay hydrated. 'It's 100 degrees outside and it's a vibe. New York City feels alive again,' Kojo said, raising a pile of Mamdani pamphlets. 'It feels very electric seeing all the people around, the flyers, all the posts on my Instagram all day.' Cuomo and some other Democrats have cast Mamdani as unqualified. They say he doesn't have the management chops to wrangle the city's sprawling bureaucracy or handle crises. Critics have also taken aim at Mamdani's support for Palestinian human rights. In response, Mamdani has slammed Cuomo over his sexual harassment scandal and his handling of the coronavirus pandemic. In one heated debate exchange, Cuomo rattled off a long list of what he saw as Mamdani's managerial shortcomings, arguing that his opponent, who has been in the state Assembly since 2021, has never dealt with Congress or unions and never overseen an infrastructure project. He added that Mamdani couldn't be relied upon to go toe-to-toe with Trump. Mamdani had a counter ready. 'To Mr. Cuomo, I have never had to resign in disgrace,' he said. Cuomo resigned in 2021 after a report commissioned by the state attorney general concluded that he had sexually harassed at least 11 women. He has always maintained that he didn't intentionally harass the women, saying he had simply fallen behind what was considered appropriate workplace conduct. During the campaign, he has become more aggressive in defending himself, framing the situation as a political hit job orchestrated by his enemies. The fresh scandal at City Hall involving Mayor Eric Adams, though, gave Cuomo a path to end his exile.
