An early US intelligence assessment claimed that those 30,000-pound bunker-busting bombs failed to destroy Iran’s nuclear facilities.
The report by the Defence Intelligence Agency, which is the intelligence arm of the Pentagon, suggested that the US strikes only set back Iran’s nuclear programme by a few months.
The findings contradict Trump’s tall claims that the US strikes ‘completely obliterated’ Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan nuclear sites in Iran.
TRUMP claimed that the US attack 'obliterated Iran's Nuclear Program.
The report, however, revealed that all three nuclear sites were far from destroyed, especially Fordow.
The 30,000-pound Massive Ordnance Penetrator was believed to be the only weapon capable of destroying Fordow enrichment facility, which is buried 60 to 80 meters deep underground.
But the report claimed that the bombs did less damage to the Fordow site, which is carved deep into the Zagros Mountains.
The intel officials believe that Iran's centrifuges in Fordow are largely "intact" and the impact was limited to above ground structures.
The assessment concluded that key components of Iran’s nuclear programme, including centrifuges, could be restarted within months.
After the Sunday strikes, satellite images were released showing six craters clustered around two entry points at the Fordo nuclear sites, as well as dust and debris.
But it was unclear from the images how much damage the sites sustained below the surface.
Meanwhile, the media coverage of the intelligence assessment did not sit well with Trump, who accused news outlets like CNN of demeaning the military strikes. Trump rebuked at the media reports saying the reports are an insult to the pilots who conducted the operation.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt also disputed the report, saying that it was a clear attempt to demean President Trump and “discredit the brave fighter pilots who conducted a perfectly executed mission to obliterate Iran’s nuclear program.”
Moreover, it is believed that Iran may have anticipated the US strikes. Satellite imagery from Maxar Technologies, dated June 19, three days before the US assault, showed bulldozers and trucks near Fordo, sealing tunnel entrances with dirt.
According to experts, Iran may have used these vehicles to move enriched uranium and possibly centrifuges out of the strike zones.
Notably, US Vice President JD Vance and the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi, said that the 400 kg of 60% enriched uranium is still intact and unaccounted for.
