An assessment, compiled by the Pentagon’s intelligence arm – the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) – has suggested that the recent air strikes on three Iranian nuclear facilities failed to eliminate key components of Iran’s nuclear programme, causing only a limited setback of several months.
The assessment, based on a battle damage review by US Central Command, has been detailed by seven individuals familiar with the findings.
CNN, citing four sources familiar with the report, revealed that most of Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile and centrifuges survived the strikes.
Contrary to earlier statements by President Donald Trump and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth who claimed Iran’s nuclear sites had been “completely destroyed” the DIA report suggests the damage was largely superficial.
One source told CNN, “The DIA believes the operation set Iran back only by a few months no more than that.”
Despite acknowledging the report, the White House rejected its findings, labelling it “completely false” and accusing a “low-level anonymous informant” of attempting to undermine the president.
The operation involved B-2 bombers dropping 30,000-pound munitions on Iran’s underground complexes in Natanz and Fordow, while Isfahan was targeted with Tomahawk cruise missiles.
However, according to intelligence officials, these strikes did not fully destroy the deeply buried infrastructure, with most of the damage confined to surface-level facilities and support systems.
Nuclear weapons expert Jeffrey Lewis, analyzing satellite imagery, corroborated the DIA’s findings, saying the remaining infrastructure could enable Iran to quickly rebuild its nuclear programme.
The attack was reportedly designed for disruption, not total destruction a view echoed by Republican Congressman Michael McCaul.
Amid these developments, Iran’s top military commander, General Ismail Qaani previously thought to be killed — made a public appearance. Meanwhile, scheduled briefings for US lawmakers regarding the operation were abruptly cancelled.
Democratic Congressman Pat Ryan criticised the cancellation, suggesting it was meant to hide the administration’s exaggeration of the strike’s success.
As intelligence agencies continue to gather more data, there remains uncertainty over how the DIA report aligns with other official assessments.
However, current indications suggest that neither the US nor Israel has succeeded in fully eliminating Iran’s underground nuclear infrastructure, with concerns that some covert facilities remain operational and untouched.
Despite growing evidence to the contrary, President Trump on Tuesday once again claimed that “the facilities were completely destroyed” — a statement now increasingly challenged by both experts and US intelligence findings.
