CIA says new intelligence shows Iran's nuclear program severely damaged by US strikes
CIA Director John Ratcliffe said Wednesday that a 'body of credible intelligence' indicates Iran's nuclear program was severely damaged by US strikes last weekend.
'This includes new intelligence from a historically reliable and accurate source/method that several key Iranian nuclear facilities were destroyed and would have to be rebuilt over the course of years,' Ratcliffe said in a statement.
Ratcliffe said the CIA continues collecting additional information to keep 'appropriate decision-makers and oversight bodies' fully informed.
He added: 'When possible, we will also provide updates and information to the American public, given the national importance of this matter and in every attempt to provide transparency.'
Following last weekend's unprecedented US bombing operation against three Iranian nuclear sites, including the notorious Fordow, conflicting reports have emerged over how much impact those strikes had. One assessment from the Pentagon's Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) leaked to US media this week suggested that Iran may still have a majority of its nuclear capabilities intact.
'This is a preliminary, low confidence assessment – not a final conclusion – and will continue to be refined as additional intel becomes available,' a senior DIA official told Al Arabiya English when asked about the assessment.
US President Donald Trump and his administration have slammed the leaked DIA report and played it down.
After the CIA released Ratcliffe's statement, he also posted it on X, adding: 'My statement confirming CIA intelligence which contradicts illegally sourced public reporting regarding the destruction of key Iranian nuclear facilities.'
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