Trump blasts Left media, asserts Iran nuclear sites 'completely destroyed'
What's the story
United States President Donald Trump has rejected media reports that said recent airstrikes on Iran's nuclear facilities were ineffective. He insisted the sites were "completely destroyed," disputing a Pentagon intelligence assessment suggesting otherwise. The assessment, cited by major US news outlets, indicated limited setbacks to Iran's nuclear program. This has led to a rift between the White House and the intelligence community over national security disclosures and media scrutiny.
Media criticism
'Fake news CNN'
In a post on Truth Social, Trump wrote in capital letters: "FAKE NEWS CNN." "Together with the failing New York Times, CNN has teamed up in an attempt to demean one of the most successful military strikes in history, he said. The nuclear sites in Iran are completely destroyed," Trump insisted. The US bombed the three nuclear sites in Iran with "bunker buster" bombs that can penetrate 18m (60ft) of concrete or 61m (200ft) of earth before exploding.
Intelligence assessment
Report on the Pentagon assessment
The Pentagon's Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) review, shared with CNN and Reuters by officials familiar with the matter, found that while Iran's sites at Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan were significantly damaged, the core of its nuclear capability remained intact. Some uranium stockpiles and underground centrifuges survived or had been moved before the strikes. Key sections of Iran's program had also been safeguarded in anticipation of such attacks, the report said.
Official response
'Report flat-out wrong'
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt also directly responded to the DIA review, saying, "Everyone knows what happens when you drop 14 30,000-pound bombs perfectly on their targets: total obliteration." She called the report "flat-out wrong" and a "clear attempt to demean President Trump." In a televised speech, Trump reiterated his claim of a spectacular military success and complete destruction of Iran's key nuclear enrichment facilities.
Damage
Would take time to assess the damage
In the hours following the Saturday strikes, Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters that it would take time to assess the damage to the nuclear facilities. Satellite images revealed six new craters centered around two access locations at the Fordo nuclear installations, as well as gray dust and debris. The photographs, however, do not reveal how much damage the sites incurred below the surface.