An early U.S. intelligence assessment has determined that Donald Trump’s airstrikes on three Iranian nuclear bases failed to destroy core components of the nation’s nuclear program.
The president’s attack, conducted without the express approval of Congress, damaged facilities in Fordo, Natanz, and Isfahan on Saturday. But a battle damage assessment by the Pentagon’s intelligence arm determined that the missile barrage only set Iran’s nuclear program back by a few months, CNN reported Tuesday.
The White House denied the contents of the leaked report, with press secretary Karoline Leavitt rebuffing the whistleblower as a “low-level loser.” But she still acknowledged that the report had been classified as “top secret.”
In the wake of the attack, Trump celebrated that Iran’s nuclear program had been “completely and totally obliterated.” He told reporters aboard Air Force One Tuesday that the nation should “get on to being a great trading nation” with regard to its oil supply. He further promised that, based on the severity of the attack, “the last thing on Iran’s mind right now is nuclear weapons.”
But not everyone on Capitol Hill shared Trump’s evaluation. In an interview with Steve Bannon Tuesday, Republican Senator Rand Paul wondered if Iran would respond “with a sprint to creating a nuclear weapon.”
“There are news reports out today saying that 400 kilograms of enriched uranium at 60 percent was spirited out before the attacks,” Paul said.
Israeli officials signaled Sunday there was evidence that Iran had moved equipment and uranium—enriched to 60 percent purity—from one of the bomb sites ahead of the attack. The fuel was reportedly stored inside another nuclear complex near the ancient capital of Isfahan.
International Atomic Energy Agency Director Rafael Grossi texted The New York Times that his inspectors had laid eyes on the uranium a week before Israel attacked, and that Iran has “made no secret that they have protected this material.”
Paul warned he wasn’t “sure you can bomb away the ability to make a nuclear weapon.” He noted that the Iranians had enough uranium to manufacture about 10 weapons. “I hope the war will not continue, but I guess I rest my judgment on the previous incursions of so many presidents—from Obama to Bush—overseas that really didn’t go as planned,” Paul said.
At least 606 people have been killed in Iran since Israel first attacked on June 13, according to Iran’s health ministry. Approximately 107 people died on Monday alone, making it the deadliest single day of the conflict.
Iranian officials have made it clear that they are no longer interested in negotiating with American leadership, citing the nation’s deception ahead of prearranged talks regarding Iran’s nuclear program that were scheduled to take place earlier this month.
Trump preemptively announced a successful ceasefire between Iran and Israel Monday evening, before the two nations had jointly come to an agreement on the terms of ending their conflict. Hours after the ceasefire deadline had passed, the two nations continued lobbing missiles at one another.
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