Iran acknowledges significant damage to nuclear sites

Iran has publicly acknowledged for the first time that several of its nuclear facilities sustained extensive damage following coordinated military strikes reportedly carried out by the United States and Israel last week, reports New York Times.

In an interview aired on state television, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said, "The damage is not small — our facilities have been seriously damaged."

The strikes, which occurred on June 22, targeted key components of Iran's nuclear infrastructure, including the Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan facilities. U.S. officials, including President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, have since claimed that the attacks significantly degraded Iran’s nuclear capabilities.

According to U.S. intelligence assessments, the strikes may have set back Iran's nuclear programme by at least a year.

CIA Director John Ratcliffe stated earlier this week that "the precision of these operations has dealt a serious blow to Iran's enrichment and development efforts."