US Strikes Failed to Destroy Iran’s Nuclear Assets: Leaked Intel

Web Desk: US Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA), in its initial assessment, found Iran’s nuclear infrastructure largly intact despite US airstrikes.

A CNN’s shocking report on Tuesday suggests that Iran’s nuclear program has only been set back by a few months—far from the “complete destruction” as claimed by President Donald Trump.

President Trump declared that US strikes had “completely and totally obliterated” Iran’s nuclear capabilities, while the White House praised the attacks on Iran’s Fordow, Isfahan, and Natanz nuclear facilities as a decisive military success that caught Tehran off guard.

Israeli military chief of staff Eyal Zamir echoed this narrative on Tuesday, saying the strikes had set Iran’s nuclear efforts back by “years.” However, like Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, he admitted the conflict is far from over and has “entered a new phase.”

Contradicting these bold claims, leaked intelligence paints a different picture. A source familiar with the DIA’s assessment told CNN that Iran’s centrifuges are “largely intact.”

Meanwhile, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) revealed that just five days into the war, its inspectors lost track of 409 kilograms of Iran’s highly enriched uranium—an amount sufficient to produce up to 10 nuclear warheads, and small enough to be transported by truck.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt dismissed the CNN report, calling it “flat-out wrong” and accusing a “low-level loser in the intelligence community” of leaking what she said was “top secret” information.

An Arab official told Middle East Eye that Iran was warned in advance of the US strikes. Amwaj Media also reported that Tehran had been tipped off before the attacks began.

Before the Israeli assault, Iran and the United States had resumed diplomatic talks aimed at curbing Tehran’s nuclear ambitions in exchange for sanctions relief. On Tuesday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said his country is still willing to return to the negotiating table.

In separate phone calls with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed, Pezeshkian urged regional allies to clarify Iran’s position to Washington.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran only seeks to assert its legitimate rights,” he was quoted by state media as saying.
“It has never sought nuclear weapons, and it does not seek them. We are ready to resolve these issues through diplomacy.”

Yet the US-Israeli bombardment has cast a shadow over any potential negotiations.

Adding to the tensions, Alaeddin Boroujerdi, a senior Iranian lawmaker and member of the national security and foreign policy commission, called on Iran to suspend cooperation with the IAEA, according to the Iranian Students’ News Agency.

In a recent development, the Iranian parliament has approved suspension of cooperation with the IAEA officials. In the parliament every member voted in favor of this resolution.