Iran nuclear sites ‘completely destroyed,’ Donald Trump insists as US intel claims ‘setback only by months’
“The nuclear sites in iran are completely destroyed!” US President Donald Trump posted on truth social.
US President Donald Trump on Tuesday rebuffed US media reports of intel finding the US strikes on Iran only set back Tehran's nuclear program by a few months.
"THE NUCLEAR SITES IN IRAN ARE COMPLETELY DESTROYED!" the president posted on Truth Social.
The President said the US media was “demeaning one of the most successful military strikes in history.”
His statement came after classified preliminary US intelligence report concluded that American strikes on Iran set back its nuclear program by just a few months, news agency AFP reported.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed the authenticity of the assessment but said it was "flat-out wrong", the report added.
The US had launched military strikes on Iran's nuclear sites days after Israel launched it salvo against the Islamic Republic on June 13.
Trump had then announced that the American military forces have attacked key Iranian nuclear sites, warning airstrikes on other targets “with precision” if Iran does not make peace.
The assessment
US media on Tuesday cited people familiar with the Defense Intelligence Agency findings as saying the American strikes did not fully eliminate Iran's centrifuges or stockpile of enriched uranium.
The strikes sealed off entrances to some facilities without destroying underground buildings, according to the report.
White House Press Secretary Leavitt responded on social media: “The leaking of this alleged assessment is a clear attempt to demean President Trump, and discredit the brave fighter pilots who conducted a perfectly executed mission to obliterate Iran's nuclear program.”
Iran and Israel agreed a ceasefire on Tuesday ending 12 days of tit-for-tat strikes, after Trump joined the conflict with bunker-busting bombs at the weekend that he said destroyed key Iranian nuclear sites.
While Iran and Israel have been locked in a shadow war for decades, their 12-day conflict was by far the most destructive confrontation between them.
Stay updated with the latest Trending, India , World and United States news. Follow all the latest updates on Israel Iran Conflict here on Livemint.