The Pentagon announced on Wednesday that U.S. intelligence estimates the recent strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities have delayed the country’s atomic program by as much as two years.
“We have set back their program by at least one to two years — according to intelligence evaluations within the Defense Department,” Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell told reporters, adding, “We believe the delay is likely closer to two years.”
Last month, American B-2 stealth bombers targeted two Iranian nuclear sites using large GBU-57 bunker-buster bombs, while a guided missile submarine launched Tomahawk cruise missiles at a third location.
Israel launched an unprecedented air campaign targeting Iranian nuclear sites, scientists and top military brass on June 13 in a bid to end the country’s nuclear program, which Tehran says is for civilian purposes but Washington and other powers insist is aimed at acquiring atomic weapons.
US President Donald Trump had spent weeks pursuing a diplomatic path to replace the nuclear deal with Tehran that he tore up during his first term in 2018, but he ultimately decided to take military action.
The US operation was massive, involving more than 125 US aircraft including stealth bombers, fighters and aerial refueling tankers as well as a guided missile submarine.
The evolving US intelligence about the impact of the strikes is being closely watched, after Trump said almost immediately after they took place that Iran’s program had been obliterated, language echoed by Parnell at Wednesday’s briefing. Such conclusions often take the US intelligence community weeks or more to determine.
“All available intelligence indicates that Iran’s nuclear facilities, particularly those targeted, have been thoroughly destroyed,” Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell stated.
However, over the weekend, Rafael Grossi, head of the UN nuclear watchdog, warned that Iran could begin producing enriched uranium within a few months, casting doubt on the overall effectiveness of the U.S. strikes aimed at crippling Tehran’s nuclear program.
Several experts have also raised concerns that Iran may have relocated a stockpile of near weapons-grade highly enriched uranium from the deeply buried Fordow site prior to the attacks, potentially concealing it elsewhere.
Despite this, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said last week he had not seen intelligence suggesting Iran moved its highly enriched uranium to protect it from American strikes.
An initial evaluation by the Defense Intelligence Agency last week indicated the strikes might have only delayed Iran’s nuclear efforts by several months. However, officials from the Trump administration described that assessment as low confidence and said it was superseded by intelligence pointing to significant damage to Iran’s nuclear program.
According to Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, the strikes on the Fordow nuclear site caused severe damage.
“No one exactly knows what has transpired in Fordow. That being said, what we know so far is that the facilities have been seriously and heavily damaged,” Araqchi said in the interview broadcast by CBS News on Tuesday.
He added that while the targeted nuclear facilities may not be intact “the technology and knowhow is still there.”
When pushed on whether Tehran would return to enriching uranium, Araghchi said Tehran was “in the process of assessments… and developing our policies.”
“We have also gone through 12 days of imposed war in addition to all that we have done for this nuclear program. Therefore, people will not easily back down from enrichment.”
The United States and Israel have stated that their recent strikes were aimed at preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons and significantly weakening its ballistic missile program.
Although Iran insists that its nuclear activities are strictly for civilian purposes, it has enriched uranium to 60 percent purity—far beyond the requirement for civilian energy and just a small technical leap away from weapons-grade. Tehran has also blocked international inspectors from accessing its nuclear facilities and has continued to advance its missile capabilities.
Israel, citing its own intelligence, claims Iran has been actively working toward building a nuclear bomb. Israeli officials have also warned that further military action remains on the table should Iran attempt to restore its nuclear and missile infrastructure.
