Defense Secretary Pete Hegses denied the report, saying the US bomb “defeated Iran’s ability to build nuclear weapons.”
US Strikes set up Iran’s nuclear program every few months: Pentagon Report
According to a US Department of Defense report, US airstrikes on Iran did not destroy nuclear facilities.
WASHINGTON – A U.S. government source on the intelligence report said the reserve Pentagon Intelligence Assessment discovered US strikes over three Iranian nuclear facilities that repeated Iran’s nuclear programmes by months.
According to a second US official, early evidence shows that the bombing did not reach the depth needed to destroy the facility buried deep underground.
The June 21 air strike by the US Air Force B-2 stealth bomber used the military’s most powerful traditional weapon, the GBU-57 bunkerbuster. The 30,000-pound bomb digs a hole deep inside the Earth before it explodes.
However, the initial assessment shows that it did not reach depth to completely destroy Iran’s nuclear capabilities, said another US official who is well-versed in intelligence but was not permitted to speak publicly.
A third US official confirmed the findings of the Defense Intelligence Agency report, first reported by CNN.
Some members of Congress have seen the DIA ratings.
Asked about the assessment, the Pentagon shared a statement from Defense Secretary Pete Hegses, who is rebutting the findings.
“Based on everything we saw and I’ve seen it all – our bombing campaign has wiped out Iran’s ability to make nuclear weapons,” Hegus said.
“Our massive bombs hit the right spot on each target and it worked perfectly,” Heggs said. “The effects of these bombs are buried under a mountain of Iranian tile rubs, so anyone who says the bombs were not devastating will only undermine the president and their successful mission.”
White House Press Secretary Caroline Leavitt called the rating “flat out wrong” in a statement posted to X.
“Everyone knows what happens when you completely drop 14 30,000 pound bombs on your target: a complete erase.”
At the White House address since the bomb was withdrawn on June 21, President Donald Trump argued that the strike “eliminates” three key nuclear facilities: Fordou, Natanz and Isfahan.
Hegus told reporters the next morning that “Iran’s nuclear ambitions have disappeared.”
Trump administration cancels classified Iranian briefing
Democrats said the White House on June 24 classified Iran’s House and Senate briefings and denounced the Trump administration for not keeping Congress in the loop.
The briefing included Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, General Dan Caine, Chairman of Co-State Chief of Staff, and other officials.
Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer, DN.Y., said the senators need “real information” and that the attendance of cabinet members should not be maintained.
“Perhaps by chance Trump cancelled the Senate classification briefing this afternoon,” D-Conn said. Senator Chris Murphy said in X.
Senator Pat Ryan, a former combat veteran and West Point alumnus, accused Trump of canceling the briefing and canceling the Trump administration.
“Trump just canceled a briefing for a classified house on Iran’s strike with zero explanations,” Ryan said in a series of X’s posts.
What does Intelligence Reports show?
Democrats Tim Kane and Mark Kelly told USA Today they saw an information report classified by the Confidential Disparity Information Facility (SCIF) on June 24th.
They refused to discuss the details of the report, but Kelly said “we believe we can trust the intelligence we gain from the intelligence agency.”
The ratings of intelligence can change as “not always perfect,” Kelly added, but “they put a lot of time and effort into trying to provide us with unpleasant information.”
Kelly said that while the location of the bombing has been “deteriorated”, he pushed back Trump’s comments in a televised speech that the location of the bombing has been “completely and completely wiped out.”
“You’re going to say it isn’t,” Kelly said.
Kelly said the bunkerbuster bombs have never been used before and the Fordausite is “deeply buried.”
“There’s rocks, there’s dirt, there’s concrete,” he said. “It’s difficult to get something like that underground.”
Sen. R-Wisconsin, Sen. Ron Johnson told USA Today he hopes that the bombed location was not destroyed was “wrong” but he would not change his opinion on the mission if the intelligence report is correct.
“It will likely raise the question that further action is necessary to deny that ability,” Johnson said, adding that if the facility remains intact, he will support additional action.
R-Florida Sen. Rick Scott said he was in the White House on June 23 and spoke with Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
“They’re very comfortable destroying the Fordow and the other,” Scott said.
