Airstrikes on Iran only set back nuclear programme by months, US intelligence report suggests

Published connected 25/06/2025 - 0:48 GMT+2•Updated 8:58

A caller US intelligence study recovered that Iran’s atomic programme has only been group backmost a fewer months aft US strikes targeted 3 of nan country’s atomic sites past week.

The study released by nan US Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) – nan intelligence limb of nan Pentagon – contradicts statements made by US President Donald Trump connected Saturday night, instantly pursuing nan conclusion of what he called a “targeted and precise” operation.

Trump said successful a televised property convention on pinch his Vice President JD Vance, State Secretary Marco Rubio and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth that Washington’s strikes had “completely and afloat obliterated” Iran’s atomic sites.

Trump stated that Iran’s Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan atomic accommodation were dealt harm that sets them backmost years. The sites were attacked by nan US’ 13,600-kilogram bunker buster bombs.

While outer imagery showed important harm to nan sites, nan study suggests that astir of nan harm was contained to above-ground structures.

At nan Fordow uranium enrichment facility, Iran’s astir well-protected site, located heavy underground, nan entranceway has collapsed, and nan infrastructure has sustained damage, necessitating clip for repairs.

However, nan underground infrastructure remains intact, according to an charismatic acquainted pinch nan situation. The report’s findings besides showed that immoderate of Iran’s highly enriched uranium was moved retired of aggregate sites earlier nan US strikes began and survived.

The study asserted that Tehran had moved nan uranium to different concealed atomic accommodation it maintains. The DIA besides recovered that astir of Iran’s centrifuges are mostly intact.

'Flat-out wrong'

The White House firmly pushed backmost connected nan assessment, calling it “flat-out wrong”.

“The leaking of this alleged appraisal is simply a clear effort to demean President Trump, and discredit nan brave combatant pilots who conducted a perfectly executed ngo to obliterate Iran’s atomic program,” White House property caput Karoline Leavitt said successful a statement.

“Everyone knows what happens erstwhile you driblet fourteen 30,000-pound bombs perfectly connected their targets: full obliteration,” she added.

Trump has said successful comments and posts connected societal media successful caller days, including Tuesday, that nan strikes near nan sites successful Iran “totally destroyed” and that Iran will ne'er rebuild its atomic facilities.

Netanyahu said successful a televised connection connected Tuesday that “for dozens of years I promised you that Iran would not person atomic weapons and so ... we brought to ruin Iran’s atomic programme."

Netanyahu, speaking a time aft Trump announced a US-brokered ceasefire betwixt nan 2 nations, claimed that nan run connected Iran was a “historic victory”.

“We removed 2 imminent existential threats – nan annihilation threat by atomic bombs and nan annihilation threat pinch 20 1000 ballistic missiles.”

Iran said connected Tuesday that it was fresh to return to nan negotiating array pinch nan United States. However, Tehran asserted that it will ever proceed to take sides its “legitimate rights” and will respond to immoderate Israeli breach of nan existent truce.