The Iranian foreign ministry confirmed Wednesday that U.S. airstrikes over the weekend inflicted severe damage on several of its nuclear facilities, contradicting earlier leaked U.S. intelligence assessments that downplayed the effectiveness of the strikes.
The admission comes after days of confusion and conflicting reports about the outcome of the joint Israeli-American military operation targeting Iran’s nuclear infrastructure at Natanz, Fordow, and Isfahan. According to Iranian officials, the facilities sustained “major setbacks” and will require "significant time and resources" to restore.
“We are currently assessing the full extent of the damage, but it is clear that key components of our nuclear infrastructure were badly damaged,” Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani said during a press conference in Tehran. “This was a calculated and aggressive act of war.”
This public acknowledgment directly contradicts a leaked Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) assessment that suggested the strikes only delayed Iran’s nuclear ambitions by a few months. The leak, first reported by CNN, sparked outrage in Washington and was immediately disavowed by the White House.
“This alleged ‘assessment’ is flat-out wrong,” said White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt in a sharply worded statement. “It was classified as ‘top secret’ but was still leaked to CNN by an anonymous, low-level loser in the intelligence community. The leaking of this assessment is a clear attempt to demean President Trump and discredit the brave fighter pilots who carried out a perfectly executed mission.”
Leavitt emphasized that the scale of the operation—which involved the deployment of fourteen 30,000-pound bunker-busting bombs—was “not a symbolic gesture, but total obliteration.”
Rubio, Hegseth Cast Doubt on Leaked Intelligence
At the NATO summit in The Hague on Wednesday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio echoed the White House’s criticism of the leak, suggesting that “anti-Trump elements” within the intelligence community were feeding false narratives to the press.
“There’s no way Iran comes to the table if somehow nothing happened,” Rubio said. “They’re way behind today compared to where they were just seven days ago. This was complete and total obliteration.”
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, also present at the summit, confirmed that the FBI has launched an investigation into the leak, calling it a “serious breach of national security.”
Operation Overview and Fallout
The U.S. strikes, coordinated with Israel, came after the Israeli military reportedly targeted Tehran’s nuclear scientists and infrastructure earlier in the week. Israel also claimed responsibility for the deaths of several high-ranking Iranian Revolutionary Guard commanders. The U.S. joined the offensive after intelligence suggested Iran was on the verge of achieving nuclear breakout capability.
According to a Fox News report citing the Israel Atomic Energy Committee, the joint U.S.-Israeli operation has “set back Iran’s ability to develop nuclear weapons by many years.”
“This achievement can continue indefinitely if Iran does not regain access to fissile material,” the report stated, reinforcing the Trump administration’s assertion of the operation’s success.
Trump: “This Was Our Hiroshima Moment”
Speaking from the NATO summit, President Trump drew comparisons between the Iran strikes and the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki during World War II, suggesting the severity of the U.S. action would force Iran to the negotiating table.
“Israel sent agents to verify the destruction, and what we’re hearing is total obliteration,” Trump said. “It was like Hiroshima—there’s nothing left.”
Aftermath and Cease-Fire
In response to the strikes, Iran launched a missile attack on a U.S. air base in Qatar. However, the attack reportedly caused no damage or casualties, and U.S. officials said they had been warned in advance. Trump announced a cease-fire agreement on Monday, saying both sides had agreed to stand down.
Yet tensions flared again late Monday night when Iran launched another barrage of missiles toward Israel, just hours before the cease-fire was set to take effect. Israel accused Iran of violating the deal and prepared retaliatory strikes.
President Trump reportedly intervened directly, calling Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and urging restraint to preserve the fragile truce. Iran, for its part, denied breaking the cease-fire terms and accused Israel of provoking renewed hostilities.
What Comes Next?
While both sides have so far held off further escalation, analysts warn that the situation remains volatile.
“The damage to Iran’s nuclear program is real and significant,” said Dr. Laura Hemming, a nonproliferation expert at the Brookings Institution. “But the danger now is whether Iran decides to rebuild quietly—or retaliate in other ways.”
With the FBI investigating the leak, intelligence agencies recalibrating their assessments, and Iran reportedly regrouping, the long-term impact of the strikes—and the political fallout surrounding their coverage—remains uncertain.
