A preliminary report from the US Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) has revealed that the June 21 airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities have caused only a short-term disruption to Tehran’s nuclear ambitions. Contrary to what President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth have publicly claimed, the strikes have not obliterated Iran’s nuclear capabilities. Sources close to the intelligence findings told Reuters the delay may be limited to just a couple of months, with Iran’s stockpiles of enriched uranium remaining largely untouched.
The assessment comes after the US executed Operation Midnight Hammer, a large-scale military mission involving 14 massive GBU-57 bunker-busting bombs dropped on Fordow and Natanz by B-2 stealth bombers. Additionally, over 24 Tomahawk cruise missiles were launched at Isfahan. The objective was to degrade Iran’s ability to enrich uranium to weapons-grade levels. However, US officials admitted they could not confirm whether key uranium stockpiles had been relocated before the attack.
Defense Secretary Hegseth praised the mission, calling it a precise and powerful operation that buried its impact “under a mountain of rubble.” President Trump went further, proclaiming the mission had “completely and fully obliterated” Iran’s nuclear infrastructure. Vice President Vance echoed this sentiment, stating that Iran was now incapable of producing a nuclear weapon with its current equipment.
Despite these bold assertions, skepticism is mounting in Washington. House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries pushed back, saying there’s no evidence supporting the claim that Iran’s program was fully dismantled. Meanwhile, a scheduled congressional briefing on the operation was suddenly canceled, adding to lawmakers’ concerns.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has also confirmed its inability to verify the extent of the damage, particularly at deeply buried sites like Fordow. Director General Rafael Grossi announced efforts to engage Iran’s Foreign Minister in hopes of restarting diplomatic discussions and inspection protocols. As of now, the full impact of the airstrikes remains uncertain, and calls for transparency and renewed international oversight are growing louder.
