A recent U.S. airstrike targeting Iran’s nuclear sites has sparked significant debate and concern. The strikes occurred on Saturday night and involved massive bunker-buster bombs aimed at three key facilities, including the Fordo site, which is built deep within a mountain. President Trump claimed the operation was a major success, stating that it had completely destroyed Iran’s nuclear enrichment capabilities. However, early assessments from the Defense Intelligence Agency tell a different story.
According to a U.S. official who spoke on condition of anonymity, the airstrikes did not obliterate Iran’s nuclear program as claimed by Trump. Instead, they reportedly set it back by only a few months. This assessment was shared with select senators, including Mark Warner, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, who expressed his concerns about the implications of the strikes. He raised questions about the next steps and the potential for Iran to pursue a "dirty bomb."
The full Senate was scheduled to receive a classified briefing on the situation, but that meeting was postponed. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt dismissed the intelligence assessment as "flat-out wrong," insisting that a significant nuclear facility had been destroyed. She accused the media of trying to undermine Trump’s presidency.
Images from the airstrikes show new craters at the Fordo facility, suggesting damage, but experts caution that the nuclear program is far from destroyed. Independent analysts have noted that while some infrastructure was affected, the core knowledge and capabilities of Iran’s nuclear program remain intact. Jeffrey Lewis, an expert on nuclear nonproliferation, emphasized that key elements of Iran’s nuclear capacity were not targeted in the strikes.
Iran’s leadership has also responded, with officials stating they will not comply with demands to cease uranium enrichment. Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, the Speaker of Iran’s Parliament, asserted that Iran would continue to pursue its nuclear interests regardless of external pressure.
As the situation develops, it remains unclear what the next steps will be for the U.S. and Iran. The airstrikes have raised more questions than answers about the effectiveness of military action in halting Iran’s nuclear ambitions and what this means for regional stability.