Iran admits US strikes ‘badly damaged’ nuclear facilities

Iran’s acknowledgement comes days after US President Donald Trump’s claim who said the country’s nuclear programme was “obliterated” by the strikes.

Iran’s admission also comes close on the heels of a leaked preliminary assessment by the Pentagon’s Defense Intelligence Agency that paints a more restrained picture, showing that while the strikes were damaging, Iran’s core nuclear infrastructure remains largely intact and has only been set back by several months.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed the leak, as well as the authenticity of the claims.

“The leaking of this alleged assessment is 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… Everyone knows what happens when you drop fourteen 30,000 pound bombs perfectly on their targets: total obliteration,” Leavitt posted on X.

When asked about the discrepancy, Trump dismissed the intelligence, stating, “They really don’t know.”

Trump, attending a crucial NATO summit, reiterated that Iran will not be getting a nuclear weapon. “They’re not going to have a bomb, and they’re not going to enrich.”

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian reiterated Iran’s commitment to the ceasefire, declaring that Tehran would not violate the truce unless Israel does so first.