The early U.S. intelligence assessment, primarily from the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), indicates that the recent U.S. military strikes on three Iranian nuclear facilities—Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan—did not destroy the core components of Iran’s nuclear program. Instead, the strikes likely only set back Iran’s nuclear progress by a few months.
Key points from the assessment include:
- Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium remained intact.
- The centrifuges, critical for uranium enrichment, were largely unharmed.
- Damage was mainly to aboveground structures such as power infrastructure and facilities used for uranium conversion, but deeper underground facilities were not fully penetrated or destroyed.
- The U.S. strikes did not eliminate Iran’s nuclear enrichment capabilities, contradicting President Donald Trump’s claims that the attacks “completely and totally obliterated” Iran’s nuclear program.
- The White House disputes the intelligence assessment, calling it “completely incorrect” and a leak intended to undermine President Trump and discredit the military operation.
Additionally, U.S. officials believe Iran may have undisclosed nuclear sites not targeted in the strikes and still operational1.
In summary, while the strikes caused significant damage, they fell short of dismantling Iran’s nuclear program and only delayed its advancement by several months according to early U.S. intelligence evaluations