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The White House is continuing to push back on a leaked US intelligence report that downplays the impact of recent American and Israeli airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities.
Some shit you should know before you read: A few days back, CNN was the first to report on a leaked preliminary assessment from the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) that cast doubt on the effectiveness of recent US and Israeli airstrikes targeting Iran’s nuclear facilities. The report, shared with multiple outlets, including the New York Times, NBC News, and Axios, concluded that the strikes may have only delayed Iran’s nuclear program by a few months rather than destroying it outright. According to the DIA, much of Iran’s enriched uranium had already been relocated before the attacks, and critical underground infrastructure (especially at hardened sites like Fordo) likely remained structurally intact. The CNN report was authored by Natasha Bertrand, whose past coverage of intelligence matters has drawn scrutiny from critics due to her role in earlier reporting on topics such as the Steele dossier and the Russia investigation. Conservative commentators and former intelligence officials have questioned her credibility, accusing her of promoting politically biased narratives.
What’s going on now: Amid ongoing scrutiny over the effectiveness of the strikes, the White House is now amplifying Israeli intelligence assessments to bolster its argument that the US-led bombing campaign caused long-term, crippling damage to Iran’s nuclear program. In an unusual move, the White House instructed the press pool traveling with President Trump to distribute a statement from Israel’s Atomic Energy Commission (IAEC), which asserted that the strike on Iran’s Fordo facility “destroyed the site’s critical infrastructure and rendered the enrichment facility inoperable.” The IAEC added that Iran’s ability to develop nuclear weapons had been set back “by many years,” and that the effect could be indefinite if Iran remains cut off from nuclear materials.
Israeli intelligence agencies, for their part, have echoed the White House’s optimistic tone but remain more cautious in reaching final conclusions. According to some Israeli officials speaking to Axios, early indications point to “very significant” damage at sites like Natanz, Fordo, and Isfahan, though they have not yet released a comprehensive damage assessment. Officials say enriched uranium stockpiles may now be buried under rubble and could be irrecoverable, and that above-ground facilities were completely destroyed.
Despite this, top Israeli military figures have also publicly supported the narrative of a highly successful operation. IDF spokesman Brig. Gen. Effi Defrin said in a televised statement that it is still “too early” to assess the full results but expressed confidence that the strikes set Iran’s nuclear program back by “years.” He added that all objectives of the operation had been met and possibly even exceeded expectations. His comments were reinforced by IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, who said both Iran’s nuclear and missile programs had been “significantly degraded.” Even Prime Minister Netanyahu declared that the nuclear project had been “thwarted.”
This comes as some reports indicate that intelligence suggests Iran’s own military may be misleading its leadership about the extent of the destruction.
