Videos: Iran's nuclear program set back ‘decades,' Trump says
The president was asked by reporters at the NATO summit in the Netherlands on Wednesday regarding a Pentagon report leaked to the media, which suggested that the strikes by the U.S. military and Israel Defense Forces may have only delayed Iran's nuclear program by a few months. In response, Trump said, 'I believe it was total obliteration.'
According to ABC 6, two people familiar with the Pentagon's report told the outlet that the report suggested the U.S. military's strikes only inflicted limited damage on Iran's nuclear facilities and that Iran relocated some of its uranium prior to the strikes.
However, Trump told reporters Wednesday, 'I believe they didn't have a chance to get anything out, because we acted fast. If it would have taken two weeks, maybe. But it's very hard to remove that kind of material, very hard and very dangerous for them to remove it. Plus, they knew we were coming, and if they know we're coming, they're not going to be down there.'
Q: " What's your reaction to the intelligence reports saying that the Iranian nuclear sites were only partially devastated?"
Trump: "They don't know… I believe it was total obliteration." pic.twitter.com/5zapVxmrRq — The Bulwark (@BulwarkOnline) June 25, 2025
Trump indicated on Wednesday that the U.S. military strikes had set Iran's nuclear program back by 'basically decades' and suggested that he believed Iran would not try to rebuild the program.
'I think they've had it,' Trump said. 'I mean, they just went through hell.'
'It's gone for years, years, very tough to rebuild, because the whole thing is collapsed. In other words, inside, it's all collapsed,' Trump added. 'Nobody can get in to see it, because it's collapsed.'
Trump says Israeli agents report Fordow is completely destroyed
Trump administration denies intelligence assessment that U.S. strikes did not destroy the key components of the nuclear program, but only delayed it by a few months; "We set Iran back decades," the president said,… pic.twitter.com/NKgf2EXZ0y — Ynetnews (@ynetnews) June 25, 2025
According to ABC 6, in response to questions regarding the early U.S. intelligence reports on Wednesday, Trump emphasized that the reports were 'very inconclusive.'
'The intelligence says we don't know, it could have been very severe, that's what the intelligence says. So I guess that's correct, but I think we can take the 'we don't know,'' Trump told reporters. 'It was very severe. It was obliteration.'
READ MORE: Video: VP Vance touts destruction of Iran's nuclear program, 'reset button' for peace
According to Fox News, the Israel Atomic Energy Commission provided an assessment on Wednesday, noting that Iran's nuclear program had been set back by 'many years.'
A statement from the commission that was provided by the White House said, 'The devastating U.S. strike on Fordow destroyed the site's critical infrastructure and rendered the enrichment facility inoperable.'
'We assess that the American strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities, combined with Israeli strikes on other elements of Iran's military nuclear program, has set back Iran's ability to develop nuclear weapons by many years,' the Israel Atomic Energy Commission added. 'This achievement can continue indefinitely if Iran does not get access to nuclear material.'
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Motor Trend
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Hamilton Spectator
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Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Yahoo
an hour ago
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Trump caught off guard by Pentagon's abrupt move to pause Ukraine weapons deliveries, AP sources say
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The pause in critical weapons deliveries had come at a difficult moment for Ukraine, which has faced increasing — and more complex — air barrages from Russia during the more than three-year-old war. Trump acknowledged that in announcing the reversal on Monday night, saying, "They have to be able to defend themselves. They're getting hit very hard now." Asked by a reporter Tuesday who approved the pause, Trump bristled at the question while he was gathered with his Cabinet. 'I don't know. Why don't you tell me?" Trump's change in tone on Putin The president also laid into Russian President Vladimir Putin, suggesting he was unnecessarily prolonging the war that Trump has said he's determined to quickly conclude. Trump has struggled to find a resolution, with talks between the sides stalled. The Republican leader has sounded increasingly exasperated with Putin in recent days. The two spoke by phone last week. 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Getting a full visibility on the numbers of actual munitions on hand takes time, the official said, because while Patriot missiles, for example, initially belong to the Army, once they are requested and sent to a combatant command, such as U.S. Central Command, the service loses visibility on those numbers in inventory. The vast majority of the munitions and weapons the U.S. has shipped to Ukraine have been pulled from the Army, which has monitored levels closely in recent years, particularly for high-demand items like 155mm artillery shells and Patriot missiles for air defenses. It's been harder for the Army to ramp up production on those items than had been planned: It was trying to hit a goal of producing 100,000 155mm shells a month by the end of 2025 but won't meet that goal now until 2026, Army spokesman Steve Warren said. Ramping up Patriot missile production also has been challenging, Warren said. Sen. Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said in a statement Tuesday that he was glad Trump was resuming deliveries to Ukraine. 'This time, the President will need to reject calls from the isolationists and restrainers within his Administration to limit these deliveries to defensive weapons," McConnell said. 'And he should disregard those at DoD who invoke munitions shortages to block aid while refusing to invest seriously in expanding munitions production.' ___ Associated Press writers Lisa Mascaro and Matthew Lee contributed to this report.
