Iran's nuclear facilities not destroyed

US airstrike targeting Iran’s nuclear infrastructure caused only limited damage and failed to destroy key underground facilities, according to a classified assessment by the US Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), reports The Guardian.

The findings, disclosed just days after the operation, stand in stark contrast to US President Donald Trump's assertion that the strikes were "the most successful operation in military history."

The coordinated attacks, carried out early Saturday morning using B-2 stealth bombers, targeted three of Iran’s most sensitive nuclear sites: Natanz, Fordow, and Isfahan. Among the munitions deployed was the 30,000-pound Massive Ordnance Penetrator—a weapon designed to breach deeply buried structures, including reinforced concrete and subterranean bunkers.

However, according to the DIA’s post-strike analysis, Iran's core nuclear infrastructure—including uranium enrichment centrifuges and its stockpile of enriched uranium—remains largely unscathed. The report concluded that the assault inflicted only surface-level damage and destroyed limited ground infrastructure, with the country’s nuclear programme expected to resume operations within a matter of months.

Satellite imagery reviewed by intelligence analysts showed multiple blast sites in the vicinity of the Fordow complex, but the extent of subsurface damage could not be independently verified.

Iran is believed to have anticipated the strikes and moved portions of its enriched uranium stockpile in advance, further reducing the impact of the US operation.

Speaking to CBS News, a senior intelligence official confirmed that while the attack disrupted activity at the sites, "the setback is temporary—perhaps three to six months at most."

The White House swiftly rejected the DIA's assessment, calling it "completely inaccurate" and accusing intelligence agencies of attempting to undermine the president. In a statement posted to Truth Social, Trump said the report was "an attempt to tarnish the military's reputation" and insisted the mission had “obliterated" Iran’s nuclear capability.

Meanwhile, General Dan Kaine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, defended the military operation, stating it had caused "significant destruction and operational disruption".