US President Donald Trump has reiterated his claim that American forces "obliterated" Iranian nuclear sites during targeted strikes on June 22, 2025, referencing an assessment by the Israel Atomic Energy Commission (IAEC) as evidence.

In a Truth Social post, Trump highlighted the IAEC's evaluation of the Fordow nuclear facility in Iran, stating that US strikes had "destroyed the site's critical infrastructure and rendered the enrichment facility inoperable."

He publicly thanked US B-2 bomber pilots and emphasized Israel's assertion that the nuclear sites were "obliterated".

The Israeli Prime Minister's Office, through the IAEC, released a statement asserting that the US strikes, in conjunction with Israeli attacks on related elements of Iran's nuclear program, had set back Tehran’s ability to develop nuclear weapons by "many years."

The IAEC described the Fordow strike as devastating, claiming it destroyed essential infrastructure and rendered the enrichment facility non-functional. The commission suggested that this setback could persist indefinitely if Iran is denied access to nuclear material.

Despite these public pronouncements, there is significant dispute regarding the actual impact of the strikes. A CNN investigation, citing seven individuals briefed on classified assessments, reported that the US Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) concluded the attacks caused only a temporary disruption, likely setting Iran’s nuclear program back by a few months rather than years.

According to this assessment, Iran’s centrifuges remained mostly operational, and enriched uranium stockpiles were likely moved before the strikes. The battle damage assessment conducted by US Central Command reportedly contradicts the Trump administration’s public claims of "complete obliteration" of Iran’s nuclear capabilities.

The White House, however, has pushed back against the leaked DIA assessment, labelling it as incorrect and suggesting that it was leaked to undermine President Trump and the military operation. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt insisted that the strikes achieved "total destruction," citing the use of fourteen 30,000-pound bombs on the targets.

Further complicating the narrative, CIA Director John Ratcliffe announced that credible intelligence indicated Iran’s nuclear program had been "significantly impaired" by the strikes, claiming several critical sites were destroyed and would take years to rebuild.

Nonetheless, arms control experts and former intelligence officials have cautioned that Iran could potentially restore its nuclear capabilities if it preserved sufficient enriched uranium and advanced centrifuges, even without the three targeted facilities.

The political and intelligence dispute over the true extent of the damage has become a contentious issue in Washington. While the Trump administration and Israeli officials maintain that the strikes delivered a severe and lasting blow to Iran’s nuclear ambitions, multiple US intelligence assessments suggest the impact may be far less significant, amounting to a temporary setback rather than a crippling blow.

The military confrontation between Iran and Israel began on June 13, 2025, when Israel launched "Operation Rising Lion," a large-scale airstrike targeting Iranian military and nuclear facilities. Iran responded with "Operation True Promise 3," involving missile and drone attacks against Israeli infrastructure.

President Trump and Israeli authorities claim the US strikes "obliterated" Iran’s nuclear sites and set back its nuclear weapons program by years, US intelligence assessments and independent reporting indicate the damage may be limited to a short-term disruption, with Iran’s core nuclear capabilities largely intact.

Based On ANI Report