Iran’s nuclear program ‘severely damaged’ by US strikes, says CIA

Washington: CIA Director John Ratcliffe stated that the agency had obtained "a body of credible evidence" indicating that recent US airstrikes inflicted significant damage on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, lending weight to the White House’s claim that Tehran’s atomic capabilities have been sharply diminished.

In a statement issued Wednesday (local time), Ratcliffe—while withholding details—cited a "historically reliable source/method" as the basis for intelligence suggesting that several major Iranian nuclear sites were destroyed and would require years to rebuild. He did not clarify whether his remarks reflected an official CIA assessment or his personal interpretation but emphasised that the intelligence community continues to assess the outcome of Saturday’s coordinated strikes on Iran’s Natanz, Fordow, and Esfahan facilities.

His comments appear to challenge an earlier preliminary assessment by the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA), which suggested that the strikes had not fully dismantled key elements of Iran’s nuclear program.

According to the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), the recent US airstrikes may have set back Iran’s nuclear program by only a few months, prompting scepticism about the long-term strategic impact of the operation.

The White House swiftly rejected that assessment, labelling it “wrong” and reaffirming President Donald Trump’s claim that the strikes had “obliterated” Iran's ability to build a nuclear weapon.

Echoing the administration’s stance, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard stated on X that “new intelligence confirms what the US President has stated numerous times: Iran's nuclear facilities have been destroyed.” Gabbard further asserted that any attempt by Tehran to restore its program would require the complete reconstruction of the three targeted facilities, a process she said would take years.

Amidst the competing intelligence narratives, President Trump announced that Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and senior Pentagon officials would hold a press briefing at 8:00 a.m. (local time) Thursday to provide details on the operation’s outcome and commend the US pilots who carried out the mission.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump criticised media coverage of the strikes, writing, “Secretary of Defense (War!) Pete Hegseth, together with Military Representatives, will be holding a Major News Conference tomorrow morning at 8 a.m. EST at The Pentagon, in order to fight for the dignity of our Great American Pilots. These patriots were very upset! After 36 hours of dangerously flying through enemy territory, they landed, they knew the success was legendary, and then, two days later, they started reading Fake News by CNN and The Failing New York Times.”

"They felt terribly! Fortunately for them and, as usual, solely for the purpose of demeaning President Donald J. Trump, the Fake News (Times and CNN) lied and totally misrepresented the Facts, none of which they had (because it was too soon, there were no Facts out there yet!). The News Conference will prove both interesting and irrefutable. Enjoy!"

(inputs from IANS)