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**Reports Contradict Trump’s Claims of Complete Destruction of Iranian Nuclear Sites**
**Washington, D.C.** – Contradictory reports are emerging regarding the effectiveness of recent US military strikes against Iran’s nuclear program, casting doubt on President Trump’s claims of complete destruction.
Citing US intelligence assessments, both NBC News and The Washington Post are reporting that only the Fordow nuclear facility was successfully destroyed in the attacks. The Washington Post further questions if centrifuges, used for uranium enrichment within the Fordow facility, were successfully destroyed or moved before the attack. “We definitely can’t say it was obliterated,” an unnamed official told The Post, referring to Iran’s nuclear program.
President Trump has defended the strikes as a “spectacular” success, dismissing any reports questioning the damage inflicted. However, initial intelligence assessments leaked last month suggested that the strikes only delayed Iran’s nuclear work by months, contradicting the Pentagon’s claim that the program was degraded by one to two years.
While the Fordow site was initially thought to be the most heavily guarded, reports now suggest that the facilities in Natanz and Isfahan are also heavily fortified. The US military chose not to use bunker-busting bombs against the Isfahan site, targeting only surface infrastructure, as underground facilities were assessed to be “pretty much impenetrable.”
The Pentagon maintains that all three targeted sites were “completely and totally obliterated,” echoing the stance of Israel, which initiated the recent conflict with attacks against Iran.
Tehran has remained largely silent on the extent of the damage to its nuclear facilities. While some officials acknowledge significant damage, Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has accused Trump of “exaggerating” the impact of the strikes. The location and state of Iran’s enriched uranium also remain unknown.
Rafael Grossi, head of the UN nuclear watchdog IAEA, expressed uncertainty about the safety of uranium containers, saying, “We don’t know where this material could be or if part of it could have been under the attack.” Grossi also stated Iran could resume uranium enrichment in a matter of months.
The reports come after a period of intense conflict, beginning with Israeli attacks on Iran on June 13, followed by US involvement on June 22 and a retaliatory Iranian missile strike on a US air base in Qatar. While a ceasefire has been reached, diplomatic talks remain stalled.
The situation is further complicated by ongoing disputes regarding the 2015 Iran nuclear deal (JCPOA). Iran claims the US withdrew from the deal and chose a military option instead of negotiation. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated that any new round of talks is only possible “when the other side is ready for a fair, balanced, and mutually beneficial nuclear deal.”
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