In a strong response to a leaked intelligence report, former President Donald Trump emphasized that recent military actions against Iran significantly disrupted its nuclear ambitions, contrary to claims of a limited impact. Speaking at a NATO summit in The Hague, Trump declared that the strikes accomplished a "virtual obliteration" of Iran's nuclear capabilities, proposing that their program has been set back for decades.
Trump Disputes Leaked Intelligence Report on US Strikes Impact on Iran
Trump Disputes Leaked Intelligence Report on US Strikes Impact on Iran
Former President Trump and his administration reject a leaked assessment suggesting US military strikes only marginally affected Iran's nuclear program.
The controversy arose after reports indicated that a preliminary Pentagon assessment suggested the strikes, which targeted critical facilities at Fordo and Natanz, merely set back Iran's nuclear program by months and did not eliminate its stockpile of enriched uranium. This assessment was described as being made with "low confidence," raising doubts about its reliability. In the wake of this information, the White House branded the leaked report as fundamentally incorrect.
At the NATO summit, Trump acknowledged some ambiguity surrounding the intelligence but quickly reiterated his belief in the efficacy of the strikes, likening them to the atomic bombings in WWII that effectively ended the conflict. He cautioned that Iran's nuclear plans are now essentially halted for years, expressing confidence in the US military’s precision in targeting.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, present alongside Trump, dismissed the leaking of the report as politically motivated and criticized its credibility. He noted that despite some infrastructure damage, much of Iran’s nuclear capability remains intact, particularly underground facilities that were not fully destroyed.
The U.S. military employed advanced "bunker buster" munitions during the strikes, aimed at penetrating heavily fortified sites. However, the initial intelligence evaluation suggested that while significant surface damage occurred, the deeper structures remained largely unaffected.
Iranian officials have consistently claimed that their nuclear program is intended for peaceful purposes, and they asserted that the attacked sites had been evacuated beforehand to mitigate potential damage. Meanwhile, both U.S. and Israeli officials maintain that the military operation was a strategic success, despite the conflicting intelligence assessments emerging in its aftermath.
At the NATO summit, Trump acknowledged some ambiguity surrounding the intelligence but quickly reiterated his belief in the efficacy of the strikes, likening them to the atomic bombings in WWII that effectively ended the conflict. He cautioned that Iran's nuclear plans are now essentially halted for years, expressing confidence in the US military’s precision in targeting.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, present alongside Trump, dismissed the leaking of the report as politically motivated and criticized its credibility. He noted that despite some infrastructure damage, much of Iran’s nuclear capability remains intact, particularly underground facilities that were not fully destroyed.
The U.S. military employed advanced "bunker buster" munitions during the strikes, aimed at penetrating heavily fortified sites. However, the initial intelligence evaluation suggested that while significant surface damage occurred, the deeper structures remained largely unaffected.
Iranian officials have consistently claimed that their nuclear program is intended for peaceful purposes, and they asserted that the attacked sites had been evacuated beforehand to mitigate potential damage. Meanwhile, both U.S. and Israeli officials maintain that the military operation was a strategic success, despite the conflicting intelligence assessments emerging in its aftermath.
