US bombs failed to destroy Iran’s underground nuclear facilities, states intel report

A handout satellite picture provided by Maxar Technologies and taken on June 24, shows an overview of Isfahan nuclear enrichment facility and nearby tunnels in central Iran.

A classified U.S. intelligence assessment obtained has reportedly concluded that the June 22 American airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities failed to destroy the country’s core atomic infrastructure, casting serious doubt on President Donald Trump’s public claims that the strikes had “completely and totally obliterated” Tehran’s nuclear program.

As per the report, produced by the Pentagon’s Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) and based on a battle damage assessment by U.S. Central Command, while the strikes inflicted substantial damage above ground, Iran’s fortified underground facilities, where key components of its nuclear program are housed, remained largely unaffected.

Citing multiple sources familiar with the assessment, a CNN report states that Iran’s centrifuges were “largely intact” and its stockpile of enriched uranium was not destroyed.

Two officials, cited in the report, claim that U.S. intelligence believes Iran continues to operate undisclosed nuclear facilities that were not targeted in the strike and remain active.

“So the (DIA) assessment is that the U.S. set them back maybe a few months, tops,” a source has been cited in the CNN report.

One official, cited in the report, has stated that Iran had likely moved critical nuclear material out of the targeted sites prior to the strikes.

The military campaign, which included B-2 stealth bombers dropping 30,000-pound GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator bombs and Tomahawk missiles launched from submarines, targeted Iran’s key nuclear facilities at Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan.

The strikes, launched in coordination with Israel and targeting the Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan nuclear sites, were designed to cripple Tehran’s ability to produce nuclear weapons. But analysts now estimate that the actual setback to Iran’s program may amount to only a few months.

However, the deeply buried lower levels of Isfahan, believed to be Iran’s most secure nuclear site, were struck with cruise missiles, not bunker-busters, due to doubts about the bombs’ ability to penetrate its extreme depth, it has been learnt from the report.

Despite these findings, President Trump has continued to defend the operation, writing on Truth Social, “THE NUCLEAR SITES IN IRAN ARE COMPLETELY DESTROYED!”

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed the existence of the DIA assessment but rejected its findings. “This is a clear attempt to demean President Trump and discredit the brave fighter pilots who executed a flawless mission,” she posted on X.

The White House disputed the intelligence analysis, maintaining that the strikes were a major success. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth had earlier echoed Trump’s claim, saying on Sunday that Iran’s nuclear ambitions “have been obliterated.”

Nonetheless, arms control experts have raised red flags, warning that the limited impact of the strikes could push Iran to accelerate its nuclear efforts or further fortify its facilities against future attacks.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has also voiced concern about its restricted access to Iranian nuclear sites following the bombing campaign, a development that could complicate future monitoring efforts.

Iranian authorities have vowed to rebuild the damaged facilities and maintain that their nuclear activities are intended solely for peaceful purposes.