Iran Nuke Program Components Weren't Destroyed Says US DIA
By Reuters | 23 Jun, 2025

Iran's mild response to US attack may reflect the fact that it wanted to leave well enough alone as it continues developing nuclear weapons following a massive but ultimately unsuccessful attack.

A satellite view shows an overview of Fordow underground complex, before the U.S. struck the underground nuclear facility, near Qom, Iran June 20, 2025. MAXAR TECHNOLOGIES/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo

An early intelligence assessment indicated that the U.S. military strikes on three of Iran's nuclear facilities last weekend did not destroy the core components of Tehran's nuclear program and likely only set it back by months, CNN reported on Tuesday, citing three people briefed on it. 

After days of deliberation, U.S. forces struck Iran's three main nuclear sites on Saturday. President Donald Trump said Iran's key nuclear enrichment facilities had been completely and "totally obliterated," an assertion he has since repeated.

While over a dozen bombs were dropped on two of the nuclear facilities, the Fordow Fuel Enrichment plant and the Natanz Enrichment Complex, they did not fully eliminate the sites' centrifuges and highly enriched uranium, CNN reported, citing people familiar with the early assessment.

Citing two people familiar with the assessment, CNN reported that Iran's stockpile of enriched uranium had not been destroyed.

It said the assessment was produced by the Defense Intelligence Agency - Pentagon's intelligence arm - and is based on a battle damage assessment conducted by the U.S. Central Command after the U.S. strikes.

The report by the Defense Intelligence Agency estimated that the program was delayed less than six months, the New York Times said in another report.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt dismissed the CNN report in a social media post.

"This alleged "assessment" is flat-out wrong and was classified as "top secret" but was still leaked to CNN," Leavitt said on X.

(Reporting by Jasper Ward and Bhargav AcharyaEditing by Marguerita Choy)