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The White House is pushing back on a statement made by a top official that appeared to indicate Iran is just days away from obtaining bomb-grade nuclear material.

Some shit you should know before you dig in: In case you missed it, yesterday we had an article about statements made by Trump’s special envoy, Steve Witkoff, who claimed that Iran’s uranium enrichment reached “60%” and that they were“probably a week away from having industrial-grade bomb-making material.” This led to a lot of questions after Trump previously claimed that his “Midnight Hammer” operation, a series of coordinated US strikes targeting three major Iranian nuclear facilities, completely “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear capabilities and eliminated any immediate pathway to a bomb. Despite Trump’s claims, some analysts and intelligence sources suggested the damage may not have been absolute, noting that Iran had weeks of warning due to rising regional tensions and could have relocated enriched uranium stockpiles, equipment, or sensitive materials before the strikes.

What’s going on now: White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt has defended President Donald Trump’s long-standing claim that the June 2025 strikes “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear program. Speaking to reporters Tuesday, Leavitt called Operation Midnight Hammer an “overwhelmingly successful mission” and insisted the attack “did, in fact, obliterate Iran’s nuclear facilities.” She added that the destruction had been “verified” by both Trump and the International Atomic Energy Agency, while warning that this “does not mean that Iran may never try again to establish a nuclear program that could directly threaten the United States and our allies abroad.”

Related to the ongoing tensions with Iran, Leavitt said that “President Trump’s first option is always diplomacy. But as he has shown, he is willing to use the lethal force of the United States military if necessary.”

All of this comes amid a visibly escalating US military posture in the region and renewed diplomatic engagement. While Trump has warned it would be a “very bad day” for Iran if no deal is reached, American and Iranian officials are preparing for another round of talks in Geneva aimed at forging a new nuclear agreement and avoiding further conflict.

Iran’s deputy foreign minister, Majid Takht-Ravanchi, said his country is serious about reaching an agreement, saying, “We are ready to reach an agreement as soon as possible. We will do whatever it takes to make this happen. We will enter the negotiating room in Geneva with complete honesty and good faith.” At the same time, he warned that “If there is an attack or aggression against Iran, we will respond according to our defense plans….A US attack on Iran is a real gamble.”