CNN Reports: US Bombing Didn’t Destroy Iran’s Nuclear Sites – ‘Uranium Untouched’

The bombings of three nuclear sites in Iran last Sunday did not destroy the core elements of the country’s nuclear program. According to an initial assessment by U.S. intelligence services, the strikes merely set back Tehran’s program by a few months at most. This evaluation, as reported by CNN, was conducted by the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), the intelligence arm of the Pentagon. The assessment is based on damage estimates carried out by U.S. Central Command following the American strikes. While further analysis is ongoing, early findings contradict repeated claims by President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who stated that Iran’s nuclear ambitions had been “erased.” Two individuals familiar with the assessment confirmed that Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile remains largely intact, with centrifuges described as “largely untouched.” The White House acknowledged the existence of the DIA report but dismissed its conclusions, calling it inaccurate. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt accused unnamed low-level officials of leaking classified information to undermine the president. Meanwhile, despite optimistic statements from Trump and Hegseth, General Dan Kern cautioned against prematurely assessing the damage. Experts like Jeffrey Lewis from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies agree that the attacks did not appear to halt Iran’s nuclear program. With critical underground facilities near Natanz, Isfahan, and Parsin remaining operational, Iran retains the capability to quickly rebuild its program. Further updates on the operation have been postponed, including briefings for Congress.