A preliminary U.S. intelligence assessment has revealed that recent U.S. airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities did not destroy its nuclear capability, contradicting earlier claims by President Donald Trump that the program had been “obliterated.”
According to sources familiar with the report, the strikes may have delayed Iran’s nuclear ambitions by only a few months. The assessment indicates that Iran’s enriched uranium stockpiles remain largely intact, and many centrifuges survived the attack. Much of Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, including facilities buried deep underground, withstood the U.S. military assault.
The strikes were part of a broader 12-day conflict between Iran and Israel, which ended in a fragile ceasefire brokered by Trump. Both Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian have since declared victory.
While the White House dismissed the intelligence findings as “flat out wrong,” the Defense Intelligence Agency reportedly concluded that although the entrances to two nuclear facilities were sealed, their underground complexes were not destroyed. A separate report by The Washington Post supported this view, citing a source who confirmed that some of Iran’s uranium enrichment equipment remained operational.
Trump’s administration told the United Nations Security Council that the attacks “degraded” Iran’s nuclear capabilities, walking back earlier claims of total destruction.
Netanyahu, speaking on Tuesday, said the operation had eliminated “two immediate existential threats” — Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile threats. However, Pezeshkian celebrated what he called a “great victory” for Iran and expressed readiness to improve relations with the United States during a conversation with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
The ceasefire appears tenuous, with both sides accusing each other of violations. President Trump, before departing for a NATO summit, criticized both Israel and Iran, but directed sharper rebukes at Israel for “unloading” after the ceasefire was announced. “I’ve got to get Israel to calm down now,” he told reporters, adding, “They don’t know what the f*** they’re doing.”
Despite the uncertainty, Israel has reopened Ben Gurion Airport and lifted nationwide security restrictions. Iran has also resumed normal airspace operations. Still, military officials on both sides warned that further escalation remains possible if the truce breaks.
Iran reported 610 casualties and over 4,700 injuries from Israeli airstrikes. Israeli fatalities stood at 28 following Iran’s unprecedented missile barrages that breached Israeli air defenses.
The ceasefire has already impacted global markets, calming fears of disruptions in oil supply from the Gulf region. Oil prices fell sharply, and major stock markets rallied in response.
As the international community watches closely, questions remain about the durability of the truce and whether the U.S. strikes have merely postponed — rather than prevented — a broader nuclear crisis in the region.
