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Yahoo
7 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Devastating Intel Leak Obliterates Trump's Iran Bombing Claims
Two of the three Iranian nuclear enrichment sites that the United States bombed in June could be operational again within a few months. Despite President Donald Trump's repeated insistence that the strikes had 'obliterated' Iran's nuclear program, the facilities in Natanz and Isfahan could resume nuclear enrichment in the next several months, sources told NBC News. Only the nuclear facility in Fordow was mostly destroyed, setting back work by as much as two years, according to NBC. Officials knew even before the strikes that the structures at Natanz and Isfahan were buried so deeply they were probably beyond the reach of even the massive 'bunker buster' bomb capable of penetrating Fordow's underground facilities, NBC reported. The U.S. dropped the 30,000-pound GBU-57 bunker busters at Fordow and Natanz, but not at Isfahan, where officials relied on Tomahawk missiles to destroy surface targets. In order to 'truly decimate' Iran's nuclear capabilities, Army Gen. Erik Kurilla, who heads U.S. Central Command, came up with an alternative plan that would have involved repeatedly hitting six sites, sources told NBC. Trump decided not to greenlight the more extensive campaign, which would have lasted for several weeks and could have resulted in more deaths on both sides. The 'all-in' plan would have required targeting more of Iran's air defense and ballistic missile systems, killing more Iranians and opening up Americans in Iraq and Syria to a greater threat of retaliation from Iran, according to NBC. After being briefed on the plan, Trump—who campaigned on a promise to end foreign wars, not start them—decided to go with the more limited option in part because he was wary of involving the U.S. in a protracted military campaign overseas, sources said. He has since claimed that Operation Midnight Hammer, as the strikes were called, accomplished in a single night what U.S. Central Command predicted would take weeks to achieve. 'We destroyed the nuclear,' Trump insisted in June. 'Iran will not have nuclear. We blew it up. It's blown up to kingdom come.' His comments came a day after a leaked preliminary intelligence assessment from the Pentagon found that the bombings had sealed off the entrances to two of the enrichment facilities but had not collapsed the underground buildings. The report also suggested that much of Iran's stockpile of enriched uranium was moved before the strikes—a concern the United Nations' nuclear watchdog also expressed. The latest intelligence assessment found more damage than the original report, according to NBC, but not the total annihilation that the Trump administration has been claiming. The intelligence-gathering process is expected to continue for months, with assessments likely to change over time. 'As the president has said and experts have verified, Operation Midnight Hammer totally obliterated Iran's nuclear capabilities,' White House spokesperson Anna Kelly told NBC in a statement. 'America and the world are safer thanks to his decisive action.' Chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell also told NBC that all three of the bombed nuclear sites were 'completely and totally obliterated' and called reports to the contrary 'fake news.' The Daily Beast has also reached out for comment. Iran has said its nuclear program is purely for peaceful, civilian purposes, but it was enriching uranium at levels far above those required for domestic power generation. Still, investigators have not found evidence that the country was on the verge of creating a nuclear bomb when Trump authorized the strikes. Late last month, Trump said he would 'absolutely' and 'without question' consider bombing Iran if reports suggested it could enrich uranium again.
Telegraph
17-07-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
Only one Iranian nuclear site destroyed in US strikes
Only one Iranian nuclear site was destroyed when the US bombed Iran last month, American intelligence officers have revealed. Fordow, the main target of the US-Israeli air strikes, was largely destroyed, setting back enrichment capabilities there by several years, officials said. However, attacks against sites in Natanz and Isfahan were less effective, with intelligence sources telling NBC News that Tehran could resume uranium enrichment at those facilities within a few months. It is the latest intelligence assessment on the strikes, which took place on 22 June in the midst of an Israeli aerial war against Iran. The Trump administration has sought to portray the strikes as extremely successful, with the president repeatedly claiming that Iran's nuclear capabilities had been ' totally obliterated '. The president was forced to furiously deny a previous intelligence leak suggesting Tehran's nuclear facilities had only been set back by three to six months. According to the latest intelligence update, nuclear enrichment facilities at the Fordow facility, long seen as a critical component of Iran's nuclear ambitions, were set back by at least two years. The assessment is broadly in line with that of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which said last month it expected to see 'very significant damage' to the facilities at Fordow, particularly to the underground structures and centrifuges. However, facilities at Isfahan and Natanz were not as damaged. In fact, US officials reportedly already knew that Iran had structures and enriched uranium at both facilities that were likely to be beyond the reach of America's 30,000-pound GBU-57 'bunker buster' bombs. Officials said that in 2023, Iran began digging tunnels at Natanz that were deeper than the reach of 'bunker busters', while tunnels also existed far underground at Isfahan. The operation in June saw the US strike surface targets at Isfahan with Tomahawk missiles but not GBU-57s, which were used to target Natanz. The latest reports align with Israel's intelligence on the strikes, which suggests Iran's nuclear programme has been set back by up to two years. Israeli intelligence also believes some of Tehran's highly enriched uranium remains intact but is buried beneath the Isfahan facility. The White House has continued to insist that the strikes had 'totally obliterated' Iran's nuclear facilities. 'As the president has said and experts have verified, Operation Midnight Hammer totally obliterated Iran's nuclear capabilities,' Anna Kelly, the White House spokesman, told NBC News. 'America and the world are safer, thanks to his decisive action.' Sean Parnell, chief Pentagon spokesman, added: 'The credibility of the fake news media is similar to that of the current state of the Iranian nuclear facilities: destroyed, in the dirt, and will take years to recover. 'President Trump was clear and the American people understand: Iran's nuclear facilities in Fordow, Isfahan, and Natanz were completely and totally obliterated. There is no doubt about that.' The campaign that ultimately unfolded against Iran was one of a number of options prepared for Mr Trump, who resisted plans to go 'all in' against the country's nuclear facilities. That plan, prepared by Army General Erik Kurilla, the head of US Central Command, would have seen the US strike six Iranian nuclear sites, which officials believe would truly set back Tehran's nuclear ambitions. 'It would be a protracted air campaign,' one source told NBC News. But the president rejected the option because he reportedly did not want to enter a lengthy conflict that could spiral into a broader regional war. Mr Trump has suggested, however, that he would be willing to launch further strikes against Iran alongside Israel if Tehran were to rebuild any of its facilities. Asked late last month if he would consider bombing Iran again if enriched uranium levels were to reach a concerning level, the president replied: 'Sure. Without question. Absolutely.' Meanwhile Tehran has suggested it is open to restarting nuclear talks, which had been taking place before last month's strikes. 'The Americans insist on returning to the negotiating table,' Abbas Araghchi, Iran's foreign minister, said over the weekend. He said Tehran was considering the offer but was 'in no rush to enter into reckless negotiations'.
Al Arabiya
16-07-2025
- Politics
- Al Arabiya
Billions lost, nothing gained: The strategic collapse of Iran's nuclear program
In order to evaluate the true status of Iran's nuclear program following the recent joint Israeli and US military strikes, two main aspects must be carefully examined: the physical infrastructure that forms the backbone of the program, and the stockpiles of enriched uranium that give the program its potential for weaponization. These two elements – hardware and material – are not interchangeable. One without the other renders a nuclear ambition incomplete. And in the case of Iran, both have taken devastating blows, raising the question of whether decades of national sacrifice, international confrontation, and financial commitment have just been rendered meaningless. Iran's nuclear infrastructure – the physical sites, centrifuge arrays, underground bunkers, laboratories, and research facilities – has been systematically crippled. These were not minor tactical strikes but a calculated, technologically sophisticated campaign designed to render key facilities inoperable for the foreseeable future. The Isfahan Nuclear Technology Research Center, long considered a linchpin in Iran's uranium enrichment chain, was among the most severely hit. Satellite images reveal scorched tunnel entrances, collapsed roof structures, and targeted penetrations deep underground. Experts who have reviewed the aftermath suggest that centrifuge production lines, command control systems, and clean room laboratories have been wiped out or rendered unusable. In effect, what took decades to build – with precision engineering, international procurement efforts, and highly trained scientific teams – was largely eliminated in under two weeks. It is not merely a symbolic setback; it is a material and operational catastrophe for the program. Rebuilding this infrastructure is not a matter of weeks or months. It will require a minimum of two to three years under ideal conditions – assuming there are no more foreign strikes, no new sanctions, and no loss of technical expertise. And those assumptions themselves are increasingly unrealistic. Iran would need to reconstruct centrifuge production sites from scratch, secure the highly specialized components needed for uranium enrichment, and establish the high-purity conditions needed for functioning nuclear research. Even more critically, the government would need to reassemble a team of scientists, engineers, and technicians with the unique experience necessary to safely and secretly run such a program. All this must be done while under the close scrutiny of Israeli intelligence, US surveillance, and likely sabotage efforts from multiple intelligence agencies. While the infrastructure lies in ruins, a separate question remains: what happened to Iran's stockpile of enriched uranium? Before the attacks, Iran had accumulated a considerable reserve – over 400 kilograms of uranium enriched up to 60 percent, according to international watchdogs and leaked intelligence assessments. This level of enrichment brings Iran close to weapons-grade material, although it still falls short of the 90 percent threshold typically needed for a bomb. There have been some reports suggesting that a portion of this uranium may have been hidden or moved prior to the strikes. However, even if some of this material remains intact, it is of limited strategic value without the ability to further refine, convert, and weaponize it. Weaponization is not a matter of simply having enriched uranium. It requires an entire industrial and scientific apparatus. Iran would need functioning cascades of advanced centrifuges to continue enrichment. It would require weapon design expertise – knowledge of implosion methods, neutron initiators, and detonation mechanics. Then there is the challenge of developing a reliable delivery mechanism, typically a missile or other launch platform, capable of housing and delivering a nuclear warhead. Every one of these steps requires testing, verification, and expert oversight. Without the infrastructure, none of this is feasible. The enriched uranium, if it even exists in usable form, is now essentially inert. Compounding the damage to Iran's material assets is the staggering loss of human capital. At least 14 nuclear scientists and technicians were reportedly killed in the Israeli airstrikes. These were not replaceable technicians or anonymous bureaucrats. They represented the intellectual engine of the nuclear program – experts in isotope separation, nuclear metallurgy, weapons design, and high-level engineering. Training new personnel to this level of specialization takes years, sometimes decades. Moreover, in a climate of growing fear, surveillance, and instability, it will be increasingly difficult for Iran to attract young scientists to this field, especially when the risks of assassination, targeted strikes, or internal betrayal are so high. The loss of this brain trust may be even more devastating in the long term than the physical destruction of buildings and machines. All of this comes against the backdrop of a resurgent Israeli military policy toward Iran. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has made it abundantly clear: if Iran makes any move to rebuild its nuclear capabilities or pursue a weapon, Israel will strike again. Israel's doctrine is preemption, not deterrence. This recent operation demonstrated not just Israel's air superiority, but also its precision strike capability deep inside Iranian territory. The use of advanced drones, bunker-busting missiles, and real-time intelligence reflects a level of surveillance and access inside Iran that is extraordinary. It suggests that Israeli agents or cyber networks have most likely infiltrated even the most secretive elements of Iran's nuclear and military programs. In short, Iran is being watched continuously and closely – and any revival attempt will likely be identified and neutralized before it can gain momentum. This brings us to the sobering reality of what Iran's nuclear program represents today: a cautionary tale. The Islamic Republic has poured tens of billions of dollars over the decades into this endeavor. It has isolated itself diplomatically, suffered under relentless economic sanctions, lost countless opportunities for trade and cooperation, and placed the Iranian people under constant threat of war – all in pursuit of a nuclear deterrent that, in the end, may never materialize. Iran engaged in high-stakes brinkmanship with the West, negotiated and then violated nuclear agreements, and maintained a narrative of resistance and national pride centered on its nuclear ambitions. And yet, all of that has now been nearly erased in a matter of 12 days. The centrifuges, the research sites, the scientists, the material – it has all been shattered. This outcome offers deeper lessons beyond military and technical implications. It underscores the immense danger of provoking powerful enemies with vastly superior military capabilities. It highlights the cost of allowing ideology and rivalry to dictate national policy. Instead of building bridges with its neighbors, Iran pursued influence through proxies, militias, and nuclear threats. Instead of investing in prosperity, innovation, and regional peace, it spent its resources on uranium enrichment and missile development. And now, after decades of effort, what remains is rubble and mourning. The Iranian leadership must now face a critical decision point. If it attempts to rebuild its nuclear program, it is almost certain to face further Israeli attacks – possibly even deeper and more lethal. The infrastructure is gone, the scientific talent has been decimated, and the world is watching with heightened attention. Rebuilding is not just a technical challenge – it is a geopolitical dare to those who have already demonstrated their willingness to act decisively. There is no illusion of secrecy anymore. There is no diplomatic cover left. The message is clear: another move toward weaponization, and the next wave of strikes will follow. In the final assessment, there can be little doubt that Iran's nuclear program has been dramatically and significantly damaged. Its foundational elements – machines, minds, and material – have all been compromised. What took decades to build was dismantled in less than two weeks. The future of Iran's nuclear ambitions now lies under heavy surveillance and even heavier consequences. Whether Iran chooses to escalate, rebuild, or pivot to diplomacy will determine not only the fate of its nuclear program, but potentially the future of the region.
Al Mayadeen
15-07-2025
- Politics
- Al Mayadeen
US admits bunker-buster bombs likely ineffective on Iran Isfahan site
In a significant admission of strategic weakness, the United States military has acknowledged that its most powerful conventional bombs are incapable of reaching Iran's deeply fortified nuclear facilities, particularly the underground complex in Isfahan. The revelation was made during a classified congressional briefing on Thursday, where Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine told lawmakers that the Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP), a 30,000-pound bomb engineered to penetrate hardened bunkers, would likely have been ineffective against the Isfahan site due to its extraordinary depth and reinforced structure. According to sources familiar with the briefing, US officials assessed that the site, allegedly housing up to 60% of Iran's enriched uranium stockpile, was buried too deep for any known American munitions to reach. Instead of deploying its $27 million-per-round MOP arsenal, the US relied on Tomahawk cruise missiles launched from a submarine, an implicit acknowledgment that even some of the most advanced air-delivered munitions were not up to the task. Observers argue that the choice exposes a fundamental limitation in US conventional strike capabilities when confronting Iran's deeply entrenched and strategically dispersed nuclear infrastructure. Contrary to public claims by President Trump that the strikes "completely obliterated" Iran's nuclear sites, satellite images released by Planet Labs and Maxar Technologies reveal that Iran swiftly began clearing damage and restoring access at the Fordow and Isfahan facilities. Recent photos show excavators and vehicles operating near tunnel entrances at Fordow, indicating continued Iranian access and operational control just days after the attacks. Speaking to CNN, weapons expert Jeffrey Lewis noted a "moderate number of vehicles" present at Fordow, while Maxar images documented clear construction activity, casting further doubt on the notion of lasting degradation. Planet Labs pass from 27 June shows the western tunnel at the Esfahan UCF complex cleared and open. The day-earlier Airbus shot had it back-filled and tunnel complex beneath Isfahan is reportedly 100 meters deep, far deeper than Fordow and beyond the effective… the same time, intelligence assessments have steadily undercut the White House's narrative. A Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) report leaked to CNN found that the strikes failed to destroy the core infrastructure of Iran's nuclear program or eliminate its stockpile of highly enriched uranium. While some surface-level damage was inflicted, Iran's centrifuges remained largely intact. The report concluded that the attacks set back the nuclear program by "months rather than years." Read more: Trump demands CNN reporter be fired for revealing Iran strike failure The picture emerging from leaked intelligence and visual confirmation is at odds with continued political bravado. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who previously claimed Iran's nuclear program had been "obliterated", later downgraded the assessment to "moderate to severe" damage. Trump, speaking at a NATO summit in The Hague, admitted US intelligence remains "very inconclusive" about the actual results, though he still compared the strikes to the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Senators have also begun to acknowledge the mismatch between military claims and reality. Democratic Senator Chris Murphy stated candidly after the briefing, "Some of Iran's capabilities are so far underground that we can never reach them." Meanwhile, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, who initially echoed Trump's triumphalism, admitted, "I don't know where the 900 pounds of highly enriched uranium exists." As Iran resumes operations at Fordow and retains unscathed access to its Isfahan complex, the US finds itself confronting not only the limits of its military tools but also a deepening credibility gap between its battlefield rhetoric and strategic outcomes.
BBC News
11-07-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Iran could recover some uranium after US strike
Israel believes that Iran could potentially retrieve enriched uranium buried beneath one of the three facilities struck by US forces last month, according to a senior Israeli official. Speaking to US reporters, the official said that reaching the enriched uranium at Isfahan would be extremely difficult and any attempt would prompt renewed Israeli strikes. Donald Trump has repeatedly claimed that US air and missile strikes on Iran in June "obliterated" the country's nuclear facilities, even as some US intelligence agencies have taken a more cautious view. Iran denies seeking to develop nuclear weapons and says its enrichment of uranium is for peaceful purposes. In a briefing for reporters in Washington, the senior Israeli official - who declined to be named - said that intelligence indicates that much of Iran's enriched uranium is buried at Isfahan, which was struck by submarine-launched cruise missiles during "Operation Midnight Hammer" on 22 June. The official, however, did not express concern about the assessment, noting that any Iranian attempt to recover the material would probably be detected. According to the official, Israel's assessment is that Iran's nuclear programme was set back two years. Trump and members of his administration have been adamant that the Iranian nuclear facilities were completely destroyed. "As President Trump has said many times, Operation Midnight Hammer totally obliterated Iran's nuclear facilities," White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly said in a statement sent to US media outlets. "The entire world is safer thanks to his decisive leadership." What we know about US strikes on three Iranian nuclear sitesThe BBC has contacted the White House for further comment. US intelligence assessments have been more cautious, with a leaked preliminary Defense Intelligence Agency report concluding that while all three sites - at Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan - were heavily damaged, they were not completely late June, CIA Director John Ratcliffe told US lawmakers that the destruction of Iran's only facility for producing metallic uranium effectively took away Iran's ability to build a nuclear weapon. International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) head Rafael Grossi told CBS, the BBC's US partner, that while the three targeted Iranian sites were "destroyed to an important degree", parts are "still standing"."Frankly speaking, one cannot claim that everything has disappeared, and there is nothing there," Mr Grossi said. In an interview with conservative commentator Tucker Carlson published earlier this week, Iranian President Mahmoud Pezeshkian said that the facilities were "severely damaged". "Therefore we don't have any access to them," he said, adding that a full assessment is impossible for now.
