US President Donald Trump has forcefully criticised CNN and The New York Times for their reports suggesting that recent US airstrikes did not destroy Iran's nuclear sites. Trump labelled the coverage as "fake news," accusing both media outlets of attempting to "demean one of the most successful military strikes in history" and insisted that the Iranian nuclear facilities were "completely destroyed" by US forces.

The controversy centres on the aftermath of the US-led Operation Midnight Hammer, which targeted Iran’s key nuclear sites at Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan on June 22, 2025. Trump and his administration have repeatedly asserted that these strikes resulted in the total obliteration of Iran’s nuclear infrastructure.

On his social media platform Truth Social, Trump declared, "The nuclear sites in Iran are completely destroyed! Both the Times and CNN are getting slammed by the public!" He further claimed that Iran would "never be able to rebuild" its nuclear facilities, emphasizing that the targeted sites are now "under rock" and "demolished".

However, reports from CNN, The New York Times, and other outlets, citing early assessments by the US Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA), contradict Trump’s claims. According to these sources, the strikes caused significant damage to above-ground structures, such as power infrastructure and uranium conversion facilities, but failed to neutralise Iran’s deeply buried underground enrichment systems.

The DIA's preliminary evaluation suggested that the attacks only temporarily disrupted Iran's nuclear program, potentially setting it back by a few months rather than destroying it outright. Intelligence sources indicated that Iran’s centrifuges remained mostly intact and that enriched uranium stockpiles were likely moved before the strikes.

Satellite imagery reviewed by independent analysts and CNN showed visible surface craters at Fordow, created by the deployment of massive 30,000-pound bunker-buster bombs from US B-2 bombers. Despite this, many military experts and analysts noted that the main enrichment chambers at Fordow, located over 250 feet underground, were likely beyond the reach of even the most powerful conventional munitions used in the operation. This assessment was echoed by Israeli sources, who also found less damage than anticipated after conducting their own strikes prior to the US operation.

The White House and Trump administration officials have dismissed the intelligence assessments as inaccurate and politically motivated. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated, "Everyone knows what occurs when you drop fourteen 30,000-pound bombs accurately on their targets: total obliteration," and characterised the leaked intelligence as "flat-out wrong". Steve Witkoff, the US President’s Special Envoy to the Middle East, called the leaking of the report "treasonous" and called for an investigation into those responsible.

While President Trump and his administration maintain that the US strikes "completely destroyed" Iran's nuclear sites, multiple independent assessments and US intelligence reports suggest the damage was significant but not total, with Iran's underground nuclear capabilities largely surviving the assault. The dispute has fuelled a broader debate over the effectiveness of the strikes and the reliability of official statements versus independent intelligence assessments.

Based On ANI Report