US Hits Iran Nuclear Program—Delay Measured in Months

News Desk

Islamabad: Recent US military strikes on three Iranian nuclear facilities did not succeed in fully dismantling Iran’s nuclear capabilities, according to a preliminary assessment by the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA). The classified analysis, based on detailed damage reports from U.S. Central Command, suggests the strikes have delayed Iran’s nuclear program by only a few months.

This assessment directly contradicts President Donald Trump’s repeated assertions that the operation had “completely obliterated” Iran’s nuclear infrastructure. Seven sources familiar with the DIA report told CNN that a significant portion of Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile survived, and most of the centrifuges remain functional.

CNN also reported that Iranian officials appear to have relocated key uranium materials from the targeted sites before the strikes.

“The DIA estimates the program was set back by a few months at best,” one source said.

The White House has strongly rejected this intelligence. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt called the assessment “flat-out wrong” and claimed it was leaked to discredit President Trump and diminish the operation’s success. Trump, currently attending the NATO summit in the Netherlands, reiterated that the strikes were “one of the most successful military operations in history,” insisting Iran’s nuclear sites were “completely destroyed.”

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The Pentagon characterized the strikes as a major success but acknowledged that a full assessment is still underway. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dan Caine, emphasized it is “far too early” to determine whether Iran’s nuclear capability has been neutralized.

U.S. B-2 bombers reportedly dropped more than a dozen 30,000-pound bunker-buster bombs on critical facilities such as Fordow and Natanz. However, the strikes primarily damaged above-ground structures like power grids and uranium processing buildings. Fortified underground bunkers, where centrifuges and enriched uranium are stored, appear to have withstood the attacks.

Israeli intelligence, which conducted pre-strike operations, was reportedly underwhelmed by the damage at Fordow. Nonetheless, Israel estimates that combined U.S.-Israeli strikes may have delayed Iran’s nuclear ambitions by up to two years — provided Tehran cannot quickly rebuild, something Israel has vowed to prevent.

Independent analysts and weapons experts, including Jeffrey Lewis of the Middlebury Institute, have reviewed commercial satellite imagery and support the DIA’s initial findings. Lewis noted that the underground nuclear sites near Natanz, Isfahan, and Parchin were not fully destroyed, leaving Iran capable of quickly resuming its nuclear work.

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Notably, the U.S. targeted Isfahan with submarine-launched Tomahawk missiles instead of bunker busters, due to the facility’s extreme depth.

There are ongoing concerns that Iran may be operating undeclared, secret nuclear sites that were not targeted in the recent strikes.

Meanwhile, classified briefings for the House and Senate on the operation were unexpectedly delayed. Some lawmakers, including Rep. Pat Ryan (D-NY), speculated the postponements were intended to avoid tough questions about discrepancies between public statements and intelligence assessments.

The international community is closely watching developments, especially as a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Iran remains in effect. However, uncertainty persists over the true extent of the damage and Iran’s potential to rebuild its nuclear infrastructure.