WASHINGTON — A preliminary U.S. intelligence assessment has cast doubt on President Donald Trump’s claim that American airstrikes “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear program. According to internal findings reviewed by the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), the targeted facilities at Fordo, Natanz, and Isfahan sustained damage, but their core operations remain largely intact.
The strikes, carried out by U.S. B-2 bombers and supported by Israel, focused on Iran’s major enrichment complexes. Satellite imagery confirms damage to aboveground infrastructure, including power systems and processing equipment. However, underground centrifuge halls and uranium stockpiles were not destroyed, sources familiar with the assessment said.
“Centrifuges are still standing, and uranium was moved beforehand,” one source briefed on the DIA’s analysis stated. The report estimates the attacks delayed Iran’s nuclear activities by only a few months.
President Trump, attending the NATO summit in The Hague, dismissed the assessment as false. “The nuclear sites in Iran are completely destroyed,” he posted on Truth Social. At a press briefing, he doubled down. “Those targets were obliterated. The pilots should be given credit.”
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth echoed Trump’s remarks, calling the mission “perfectly executed.” He said the leaked report was “preliminary” and “low confidence,” and claimed political motives were behind its release. The FBI is now investigating the unauthorized disclosure of the classified assessment.
Despite the administration’s firm stance, the Pentagon has not yet conducted physical inspections inside the damaged facilities. A senior DIA official confirmed, “We have still not been able to review the actual physical sites themselves. That will give us the best indication.”
Meanwhile, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Dan Caine cautioned that it is “way too early” to determine if Iran’s nuclear capabilities have been neutralized. His position reflects growing skepticism within defense circles over the actual impact of the strikes.
Republican Congressman Michael McCaul, who has reviewed past plans for such a mission, acknowledged the limitations. “It was never meant to completely destroy the nuclear facilities, but rather cause significant damage,” McCaul told reporters.
Commercial satellite reviews support the findings. Jeffrey Lewis, a weapons analyst, stated that none of Iran’s fortified underground facilities especially at Natanz and Isfahan were fully destroyed. “These sites remain functional and could support a rapid rebuild,” he said.
According to two sources, Iran’s nuclear stockpile was deliberately relocated prior to the U.S. strikes. One source noted, “They saw it coming. What we hit was mostly aboveground.”
Israel, which launched preliminary strikes before the U.S. operation, agrees that Fordo saw less destruction than anticipated. Still, Israeli defense officials believe the combined efforts of both nations pushed back Iran’s timeline by up to two years provided no further reconstruction occurs.
The Pentagon confirmed that Isfahan was targeted with Tomahawk missiles instead of bunker-busting bombs due to the site’s deeper underground fortifications. That tactical choice, sources said, was based on concerns that the bombs would not penetrate the facility’s lowest levels.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt called the leaked DIA report “flat-out wrong.” She accused the source of attempting to “demean President Trump and discredit the fighter pilots who conducted a historic mission.”
However, the disagreement within official channels remains unresolved. Classified briefings for both the House and Senate scheduled for Tuesday were abruptly canceled. A Senate-wide session was moved to Thursday, but the rescheduling of the House briefing remains unclear.
Democratic Representative Pat Ryan said on social media, “Trump just canceled a classified House briefing on the Iran strikes with zero explanation. His claims don’t hold up, and his team knows it.”
Further intelligence may clarify the full impact of the operation. For now, the evidence indicates that while the strikes inflicted damage, Iran’s nuclear program was not erased just delayed.
