Trump’s Iran strike delays nuclear programme but fails to destroy it, says US intelligence

A satellite image shows damage to the tunnel entrances of the Isfahan Nuclear Technology Research Center, following US airstrikes amid the Iran-Israel conflict. (Courtesy: Reuters photo)

A classified US intelligence report has concluded that President Trump’s airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities set the programme back by several months but did not destroy it, casting doubt on the administration’s claims of a total victory, the Washington Post reported.

Airstrikes fell short of Trump’s claims

The report by the US Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) found that key components of Iran’s nuclear infrastructure survived the strikes. The bomb damage assessment, based on early intelligence, concluded that centrifuges remained intact and the programme was delayed but not dismantled. This contradicts Trump’s repeated assertions that the nuclear sites were “totally destroyed.”

Iran pre-emptively moved enriched uranium

According to the report, Iran relocated much of its enriched uranium before the strikes. Intelligence officials said that uranium stockpiles at Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan were unaffected, reducing the strategic impact of the attack. Satellite imagery showing trucks at the Fordow facility before the bombing supported this assessment.

Administration downplays intelligence report

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt rejected the DIA’s findings, calling the report “flat-out wrong” and criticizing the leak as politically motivated. She defended the airstrike mission as “perfectly executed,” saying the scale of destruction was sufficient to cripple Iran’s ability to enrich uranium.

Internal divide over the outcome

On Capitol Hill, lawmakers expressed scepticism. Senator Mark Kelly said the DIA assessment did not align with Trump’s portrayal of success. Representative Mike Quigley suggested the administration postponed briefings due to the report’s “embarrassing” conclusions. “They don’t delay briefings that have good news,” he said.

Operation Midnight Hammer’s limited effect

The strikes, dubbed Operation Midnight Hammer, used 30,000-pound bunker-buster bombs against hardened sites. While Fordow sustained heavy damage, the assessment notes that Iran’s nuclear programme is too widespread and entrenched to be eliminated from the air. Experts say ground forces would be needed to fully dismantle it.

Israel’s role and new underground sites

Israel also struck Iranian facilities, claiming to have killed senior nuclear scientists. Still, Iran has decades of nuclear expertise and is reportedly building a new, deeper underground facility near Natanz. That site, scheduled for IAEA inspection, remains untouched.

Ceasefire after US-Iran escalation

The airstrikes were followed by a retaliatory Iranian missile attack on a US base in Qatar. Soon after, Trump helped broker a cease-fire with assistance from Qatar, which has so far held. The diplomatic push coincided with rising questions over the real impact of the strikes.

Long-term risks and lessons

Analysts warn that while the airstrikes offered valuable military lessons, they also revealed the limits of US capabilities. Iran will likely study the damage to better fortify future facilities. Despite the delay, the country retains the material and technical capacity to resume enrichment activities.