Trump Claims U.S. Strikes Obliterated Iran's Nuclear Program

President Donald Trump defended the U.S. strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities, describing them as a "devastating attack" that significantly impacted Iran's nuclear program. This assertion came despite a preliminary intelligence assessment suggesting that the strikes only caused a marginal setback. Trump emphasized that the attack had "knocked them for a loop," and his administration deployed top officials to support his claims that Iran's nuclear program was "completely and fully obliterated."

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio both downplayed the leaked intelligence assessment, with Hegseth describing it as "preliminary" and "low confidence," and Rubio criticizing the officials who disclosed the findings as "professional stabbers." The White House cited a statement from the Israel Atomic Energy Commission, which claimed that Iran faced a setback of "many years."

The impact of the U.S. strikes on Iran's nuclear capabilities remains a contentious issue, with competing claims about the effectiveness of the attacks. This debate is crucial as it could influence how American voters perceive Trump's decision to join Israel’s attacks on Iran. Additionally, the outcome will shape Trump's next steps in the Middle East, where diplomatic efforts may be necessary to prevent Iran from rebuilding its nuclear program.

Iran has consistently maintained that its nuclear ambitions are for peaceful purposes, while U.S. and Israeli leaders have described the country’s nuclear program as a precursor to obtaining a nuclear weapon. One of the key targets of the U.S. attack was the Fordo facility, where nuclear infrastructure is buried deep underground. The Israeli commission stated that the bombing "rendered the enrichment facility inoperable."

The episode has reignited Trump's longstanding grievances against leaks and intelligence officials, whom he often views as part of a "deep state" dedicated to undermining his agenda. He also criticized media outlets that reported on the classified assessment, describing them as "scum" and "disgusting." Trump argued that questioning the effectiveness of the strikes was disrespectful to the military, which flew stealth bombers to attack the nuclear facilities with weapons designed to penetrate deep underground.

One critical question is whether enriched uranium, which could be developed into fuel for a nuclear bomb, was moved out of facilities before the U.S. strikes. Trump asserted that "I believe they didn’t have a chance to get anything out, because we acted fast." He added that "it’s very hard to move that kind of material, and very dangerous."