The U.S. military strikes on three of Iran’s nuclear facilities last weekend did not destroy the core components of the country’s nuclear program and likely only delayed it by a few months, according to an early U.S. intelligence assessment described by four individuals briefed on the findings.
The assessment, which has not been previously reported, was produced by the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), the Pentagon’s intelligence branch. It draws from a battle damage assessment conducted by U.S. Central Command following the strikes, one source said.
Analysis of the damage to the sites and the broader impact on Iran’s nuclear ambitions is still underway and may change as additional intelligence is gathered. However, the initial findings contradict President Donald Trump’s repeated claims that the strikes “completely and totally obliterated” Iran’s nuclear enrichment facilities. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth similarly stated on Sunday that Iran’s nuclear ambitions “have been obliterated.”
Two sources familiar with the intelligence said Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium was not destroyed. One source noted that the centrifuges remain largely “intact.”
“So the (DIA) assessment is that the U.S. set them back maybe a few months, tops,” that individual added.
The White House acknowledged the existence of the assessment but strongly disputed its conclusions.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told CNN in a statement:
“This alleged assessment is flat-out wrong and was classified as ‘top secret’ but was still leaked to CNN by an anonymous, low-level loser in the intelligence community. 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.
Everyone knows what happens when you drop fourteen 30,000-pound bombs perfectly on their targets: total obliteration.”
