US Strikes Had Limited Impact on Iran’s Nuclear Program, Early Report Shows
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Diverging Reports Breakdown
Live updates: Trump lashes out at Israel and Iran amid accusations of ceasefire violations
Danny Danon: “We have to wait for the assessments,” the ambassador, Danny Danon, said on NBC News Now. The initial U.S. assessment appears to contradict Trump’s statements about the damage from the attacks. Trump said Sunday that the Iranian nuclear program was “completely and totally obliterated.”
“We have to wait for the assessments,” the ambassador, Danny Danon, said on NBC News Now.
“I’m sure that the U.S. have their own intelligence,” he said. “I think it will take some more time to look at the results,” he said. “But one thing is for sure, Iran is not a threat today to Israel, to the Middle East, to the stability of the world order.”
The initial U.S. assessment appears to contradict Trump’s statements about the damage from the U.S. attacks. Trump said Sunday that the Iranian nuclear program was “completely and totally obliterated.”
The initial assessment is that IU.S. airstrikes over the weekend set Iran’s nuclear program back by only three to six months, according to three people with knowledge of the report.
“We were assuming that the damage was going to be much more significant than this assessment is finding,” one of the three sources said.
Exclusive: Early US intel assessment suggests strikes on Iran did not destroy nuclear sites, sources say
Early US intelligence assessment says Iran’s nuclear program likely only set back by months. Analysis of the damage to the sites and the impact of the strikes on Iran’s nuclear ambitions is ongoing. The White House acknowledged the existence of the assessment but said they disagreed with it. The impact to all three sites — Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan — was largely restricted to aboveground structures, which were severely damaged, the sources said. That includes the sites’ power infrastructure and some of the aboveground facilities used to turn uranium into metal for bomb-making. The US military has said the operation went as planned and that it was an “overwhelming success.” But Israel had also stated publicly before the US military operation that Iran”s program had been set back. by two years. But Israeli officials believe the combination of US and Israeli military action on multiple nuclear sites set back the Iranian nuclear program by 2 years, assuming they are able to rebuild it unimpeded which Israel would not allow.
The US military strikes on three of Iran’s nuclear facilities last weekend did not destroy the core components of the country’s nuclear program and likely only set it back by months, according to an early US intelligence assessment that was described by seven people briefed on it.
The assessment, which has not been previously reported, was produced by the Defense Intelligence Agency, the Pentagon’s intelligence arm. It is based on a battle damage assessment conducted by US Central Command in the aftermath of the US strikes, one of the sources said.
The analysis of the damage to the sites and the impact of the strikes on Iran’s nuclear ambitions is ongoing, and could change as more intelligence becomes available. But the early findings are at odds with President Donald Trump’s repeated claims that the strikes “completely and totally obliterated” Iran’s nuclear enrichment facilities. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth also said on Sunday that Iran’s nuclear ambitions “have been obliterated.”
Two of the people familiar with the assessment said Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium was not destroyed. One of the people said the centrifuges are largely “intact.” Another source said that the intelligence assessed enriched uranium was moved out of the sites prior to the US strikes.
“So the (DIA) assessment is that the US set them back maybe a few months, tops,” this person added.
The White House acknowledged the existence of the assessment but said they disagreed with it.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told CNN in a statement: “This alleged assessment is flat-out wrong and was classified as ‘top secret’ but was still leaked to CNN by an anonymous, low-level loser in the intelligence community. The leaking of this alleged assessment is a clear attempt to demean President Trump, and discredit the brave fighter pilots who conducted a perfectly executed mission to obliterate Iran’s nuclear program. Everyone knows what happens when you drop fourteen 30,000 pound bombs perfectly on their targets: total obliteration.”
The US military has said the operation went as planned and that it was an “overwhelming success.”
It is still early for the US to have a comprehensive picture of the impact of the strikes, and none of the sources described how the DIA assessment compares to the view of other agencies in the intelligence community. The US is continuing to pick up intelligence, including from within Iran as they assess the damage.
Israel had been carrying out strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities for days leading up to the US military operation but claimed to need the US’ 30,000-pound bunker buster bombs to finish the job. While US B-2 bombers dropped over a dozen of the bombs on two of the nuclear facilities, the Fordow Fuel Enrichment plant and the Natanz Enrichment Complex, the bombs did not fully eliminate the sites’ centrifuges and highly enriched uranium, according to the people familiar with the assessment.
Instead, the impact to all three sites — Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan — was largely restricted to aboveground structures, which were severely damaged, the sources said. That includes the sites’ power infrastructure and some of the aboveground facilities used to turn uranium into metal for bomb-making.
The Israeli assessment of the impact of the US strikes also found less damage on Fordow than expected. However, Israeli officials believe the combination of US and Israeli military action on multiple nuclear sites set back the Iranian nuclear program by two years, assuming they are able to rebuild it unimpeded which Israel would not allow. But Israel had also stated publicly before the US military operation that Iran’s program had been set back by two years.
Hegseth also told CNN, “Based on everything we have seen — and I’ve seen it all — our bombing campaign obliterated Iran’s ability to create nuclear weapons. Our massive bombs hit exactly the right spot at each target and worked perfectly. The impact of those bombs is buried under a mountain of rubble in Iran; so anyone who says the bombs were not devastating is just trying to undermine the President and the successful mission.“
On Tuesday morning, Trump repeated his belief the damage from the strikes was significant.
“I think it’s been completely demolished,” he said, adding, “Those pilots hit their targets. Those targets were obliterated, and the pilots should be given credit.”
Asked about the possibility of Iran rebuilding its nuclear program, Trump responded, “That place is under rock. That place is demolished.”
While Trump and Hegseth have been bullish about the success of the strikes, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine said Sunday that while the damage assessment was still ongoing it would be “way too early” to comment on whether Iran still retains some nuclear capabilities.
Republican Rep. Michael McCaul, the chairman emeritus of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, would not echo Trump’s claims that the Iranian program had been “obliterated” when pressed by CNN on Tuesday.
“I’ve been briefed on this plan in the past, and it was never meant to completely destroy the nuclear facilities, but rather cause significant damage,” McCaul told CNN, referring to the US military plans to strike Iranian nuclear facilities. “But it was always known to be a temporary setback.”
Jeffrey Lewis, a weapons expert and professor at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies who has closely reviewed commercial satellite imagery of the strike sites, agreed with the assessment that the attacks do not appear to have ended Iran’s nuclear program.
“The ceasefire came without either Israel or the United States being able to destroy several key underground nuclear facilities, including near Natanz, Isfahan and Parchin,” Lewis said, referring to the ceasefire between Israel and Iran that Trump announced on Monday. Parchin is a separate nuclear complex near Tehran.
“These facilities could serve as the basis for the rapid reconstitution of Iran’s nuclear program.”
Earlier on Tuesday, classified briefings for both the House and Senate on the operation were canceled.
The all-Senate briefing has been moved to Thursday, according to two sources familiar with the matter.
Two separate sources familiar told CNN the briefing for all House lawmakers has also been postponed. It was not immediately clear why it was delayed or when it would be rescheduled.
Democratic Rep. Pat Ryan of New York said on X on Tuesday that “Trump just cancelled a classified House briefing on the Iran strikes with zero explanation. The real reason? He claims he destroyed ‘all nuclear facilities and capability;’ his team knows they can’t back up his bluster and BS.”
As CNN has reported, there have long been questions about whether the US’ bunker-buster bombs, known as Massive Ordnance Penetrators, would be able to fully destroy Iran’s highly fortified nuclear sites that are buried deep underground — particularly at Fordow and Isfahan, Iran’s largest nuclear research complex.
Notably, the US struck Isfahan with Tomahawk missiles launched from a submarine instead of a bunker-buster bomb. That is because there was an understanding that the bomb would likely not successfully penetrate Isfahan’s lower levels, which are buried even deeper than Fordow, one of the sources said.
US officials believe Iran also maintains secret nuclear facilities that were not targeted in the strike and remain operational, according to two sources familiar with the matter.
This story has been updated with additional details.
CNN’s Kaitlan Collins, Jim Sciutto, Lauren Fox and Annie Grayer contributed reporting.
The Latest: Shaky ceasefire between Israel and Iran appears to hold
U.S. President Donald Trump claims a ceasefire between Iran and Israel was “in effect” on Tuesday, after expressing deep frustration with both sides for violating the agreement he brokered. Israel earlier accused Iran of launching missiles into its airspace after the truce was supposed to take effect. The Iranian military denied firing on Israel , state media reported. France urges Iran to reach deal on nuclear program this summer or face ‘snapback’ of UN sanctions. The White House strongly pushed back on the assessment, calling it “flat-out wrong.” The last sanctions, on Iran’s nuclear activities and transfers, expire on Oct. 18. The report also contradicts statements from Trump, who has said the Iranian nuclear program was ‘completely and fully obliterated.’ The CIA and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence declined to comment on the DIA assessment. The acting U.N. ambassador to the United Nations pointed to Iran’s accelerated nuclear activities, including uranium enrichment to 60%, in violation of the 2015 nuclear deal it signed.
But even as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed that Israel had brought Iran’s nuclear program “to ruin,” a new U.S. intelligence report found that the program has been set back only a few months after U.S. strikes over the weekend, according to two people familiar with the assessment.
The early report issued Monday by the Defense Intelligence Agency was described to The Associated Press by two people familiar with it. They were not authorized to address the matter publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.
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The report also contradicts statements from Trump, who has said the Iranian nuclear program was “completely and fully obliterated.” The White House called the assessment “flat-out wrong.”
Here is the latest:
France urges Iran to reach deal on nuclear program this summer or face ‘snapback’ of UN sanctions
France’s U.N. ambassador called on Iran to resume full cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency agency and allow access for U.N. nuclear inspectors as soon as possible to its nuclear facilities to determine that its uranium stocks have not been moved.
Jerome Bonnafont also called on Tehran to return to negotiations on “a robust, verifiable and lasting diplomatic solution” that responds to international concerns that it is pursuing nuclear weapons.
He spoke at a Security Council meeting on its resolution endorsing the 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and six major powers to rein in its nuclear program that imposed wide-ranging sanctions on the Islamic Republic. The last sanctions, on Iran’s nuclear activities and transfers, expire on Oct. 18.
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Bonnafont said France and its European partners Britain and Germany, who are still part of the nuclear deal – President Trump pulled the U.S. out in 2018 – are ready to use the 2015 resolution’s provision to “snapback” U.N. sanctions “if such an agreement were not to be found by the summer.”
Early US intelligence report suggests US strikes only set back Iran’s nuclear program by months
A new U.S. intelligence report found that Iran’s nuclear program has been set back only a few months after a U.S. strike, and was not “completely and fully obliterated” as Trump has said, according to two people familiar with the early assessment.
The early intelligence report issued by the Defense Intelligence Agency on Monday contradicts statements from Trump and Netanyahu about the status of Iran’s nuclear facilities. The people were not authorized to address the matter publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.
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According to the people, the report found that while the Saturday strikes at the Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan nuclear sites did significant damage, they were not totally destroyed.
The White House strongly pushed back on the assessment, calling it “flat-out wrong.”
“The leaking of this alleged assessment is a clear attempt to demean President Trump, and discredit the brave fighter pilots who conducted a perfectly executed mission to obliterate Iran’s nuclear program,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement.
The CIA and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence declined to comment on the DIA assessment.
— By Michelle L. Price and Mary Clare Jalonick
US urges Iran ‘to seize this opportunity for peace’
The acting U.S. ambassador to the United Nations pointed to Iran’s accelerated nuclear activities, including uranium enrichment to 60%, in violation of the 2015 nuclear deal it signed with six key powers which was endorsed by the Security Council. President Donald Trump pulled the U.S. out of the deal known as the JCPOA in 2018.
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Dorothy Shea told a Security Council meeting on compliance with the 2015 agreement that Iran also violated U.N. resolutions by providing weapons to Yemen’s Houthi rebels, Hezbollah militants in Lebanon, and by transferring hundreds of drones to Russia in 2022 to use in attacks against Ukraine.
“Iran’s failure to uphold its nonproliferation obligations has prolonged conflicts and perpetuated instability across the Middle East and beyond for many years,” she said.
Shea warned that “The United States will not turn a blind eye to Iran’s noncompliance and ongoing threat to regional stability.”
She said U.S. airstrikes June 21 on three Iranian nuclear facilities were aimed at mitigating Iran’s threat to Israel, the region and more broadly to international peace and security — and degraded its capacity to produce a nuclear weapon.
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“In this critical moment,” Shea said, “we must all urge Iran to seize this opportunity for peace and prosperity – and abide by its international obligations.”
EU says lasting solution to Iran nuclear issue can only be through a negotiated deal
EU Ambassador Stavros Lambrinidis told the U.N. Security Council that following the Israel-Iran ceasefire “we urgently need to come back to a diplomatic solution.”
He said Iran’s nuclear program can only be addressed with “adequate involvement of the international community.”
Ensuring Iran doesn’t acquire or develop a nuclear weapon is “a key security priority” for the 27-nation EU, he stressed.
Lambrinidis said the U.N. nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, must remain “the sole impartial and independent international organization to monitor and verify the implementation of Iran’s nuclear non-proliferation commitments.”
Israel-Iran ceasefire is opportunity ‘to avoid catastrophic escalation,’ UN political chief says
Rosemary DiCarlo told the U.N. Security Council that the ceasefire is also an opportunity to peacefully resolve the Iran nuclear issue.
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She said, “Diplomacy, dialogue and verification remain the best option to ensure the exclusively peaceful nature of Iran’s nuclear program and to bring about concrete economic benefits to the people of Iran.”
DiCarlo spoke at a council meeting on the remaining U.N. sanctions on Iranian nuclear activities and transfers under the 2015 nuclear deal it signed with six key nations in 2015 that expire in October. U.S. President Donald Trump pulled the U.S. out of the deal in 2018.
Israel’s UN ambassador says diplomacy ‘will happen soon’ following the Israel-Iran ceasefire
Danny Danon told U.N. reporters that “We will have to speak and negotiate and make sure that we will not repeat and get to the situation where we were 12 days ago, where we had a major threat in the Middle East.”
While it’s still too early to assess all the strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities, he said, “We know we were able to push back the program, we were able to remove the imminent threat that we had.”
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As for calls for a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, Danon said Israel hopes to renew negotiations on the ceasefire proposal that U.S. Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff put on the table.
He also said he has no doubt that Israel’s ability to confront the threats it faced during the conflict will lead other countries to normalize relations with his country.
In response to a question, Danon said, “I think that president Trump deserves a Nobel Peace Prize.”
Israel to ease nationwide civil defense restrictions
Israel’s military announced Tuesday that it is easing nationwide civil defense restrictions, allowing most of the country to return to full activity starting at 8 p.m. local time.
The decision, made following a situational assessment and approved by Defense Minister Israel Katz, applies to all areas except communities near the Gaza border, which will continue to follow Southern Command guidelines, the military said.
Netanyahu says Israel brought Iran’s nuclear program ‘to ruin’
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Tuesday that Israel’s war against Iran brought the country’s nuclear program “to ruin.”
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Speaking in a televised statement, he listed Israel’s achievements in the war, including its attacks on top generals and nuclear scientists. He said Israel destroyed nuclear facilities in Natanz and Isfahan, along with the Arak heavy water reactor.
“For dozens of years, I promised you that Iran would not have nuclear weapons and indeed … we brought to ruin Iran’s nuclear program,” Netanyahu said.
After US strikes on Iran, Trump told Netanyahu not to expect further American offensive military action
After the U.S. carried out strikes on Iran, President Trump told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not to expect further American offensive military action, a senior White House official said.
Following Sunday’s bombardment on three key Iranian nuclear sites, Trump told Netanyahu that it was time to stop the war and return to diplomatic negotiations.
Trump’s position was that the U.S. had removed any imminent threat posed by Iran, according to the official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to comment publicly about the sensitive diplomatic talks.
The U.S. official said Netanyahu understood Trump’s stance that the U.S. had no desire to be further involved with the situation militarily.
-By Aamer Madhani and Josh Boak
Secretary of State makes Iran-related phone calls with various foreign ministers
The State Department said Tuesday that Secretary of State Marco Rubio had spoken to Turkmenistan’s foreign minister, Rashid Meredov, about the conflict, mainly to impress the importance the U.S. places on allowing American citizens to leave neighboring Iran by land through his country.
Nearly 200 American citizens had been stuck at the Iranian-Turkmenistan border over the weekend waiting for permission to enter.
The State Department sent a diplomatic note to Turkmenistan appealing for assistance in the matter on Sunday and officials said Tuesday that the situation appeared to have been resolved.
“The United States expressed gratitude for Turkmenistan’s cooperation and looks forward to further partnership with Turkmenistan, including expanding economic and commercial ties,” the State Department said in a readout of Rubio’s call.
Rubio also spoke by phone about Iran with Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani in part to review “next steps to promote a durable peace between Israel and Iran.”
Italy has hosted several rounds of now-stalled nuclear talks between the U.S. and Iran and has offered, along with the Vatican, to host more in the future. The readout of the Rubio-Tajani call provided no additional details.
UN chief urges Israel and Iran to respect the ceasefire
U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres welcomed U.S. President Trump’s announcement of a ceasefire and said the fighting must stop.
“The people of the two countries have already suffered too much,” he tweeted on X.
As for the war in Gaza, U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said the United States, Qatar and Egypt have been able to achieve limited ceasefires between Israel and Hamas.
“It is high time that leaders on both sides find the political courage to put a stop to this carnage,” he said
Pakistan welcomes ceasefire between Iran and Israel
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs also said in the Tuesday statement that Islamabad welcomes and supports efforts aimed at reviving dialogue and diplomacy in the region.
“Pakistan believes that lasting peace and stability can only be achieved through strict adherence to the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter and by refraining from the use of force,” the ministry said.
The country has no diplomatic ties with Israel and has said it is ready to play a role in promoting peace in the Middle East.
IAEA says additional impacts from US strikes on nuclear facilities in Iran may have caused localized contamination
The IAEA said it has identified additional impact points at the Fordo and Natanz nuclear sites, including possible localized contamination and chemical hazards.
“Regarding the additional strikes to Fordo that were reported early on Monday – after the U.S. bombing of the facility early on Sunday – the IAEA assesses that access roads close to the underground facility and one of its entrances were hit,” the statement read.
At Natanz, the IAEA said that it has identified “two impact holes from the U.S. strikes above the underground halls that had been used for enrichment as well as for storage.”
“Based on its knowledge of what these halls contained, the IAEA assesses that this strike may have caused localized contamination and chemical hazards,” it added.
UN nuclear watchdog chief stresses need for agency to resume work in Iran
International Atomic Energy Agency chief Rafael Grossi said that he wrote a letter to Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stressing the need for a resumption of the agency’s work in Iran and expressing readiness for a meeting.
“Resuming cooperation with the IAEA is key to a successful diplomatic agreement to finally resolve the dispute over Iran’s nuclear activities,” he said in the statement published by the agency.
The agency’s inspectors have “remained in Iran throughout the conflict and are ready to start working as soon as possible, going back to the country’s nuclear sites and verifying the inventories of nuclear material – including more than 400 kg of uranium enriched to 60% – which they last verified a few days before the Israeli air strikes began on 13 June,” the statement said.
Oil prices drop further
Oil prices are dropping further on hopes that Israel’s war with Iran will not damage the global flow of crude.
A barrel of benchmark U.S. crude has fallen 4.9% to $65.12. Brent crude, the international standard, has dropped 4.8% to $67.13.
Oil prices have dropped so much in the last two days that they’re below where they were before Israel attacked Iran nearly two weeks ago.
Iran is a major producer of crude, and it could try to block the Strait of Hormuz off its coast. That’s where 20% of the world’s daily oil needs pass through on ships.
UN calls Israeli attack on an Iranian prison a breach of international law
The United Nations human rights office has called Israel’s attack on Iran’s Evin prison a “grave” breach of international humanitarian law. It says the prison should not have been a target.
Israel on Monday attacked the prison, which is known for holding political activists. Israel said it attacked “regime targets and government repression bodies in the heart of Tehran.”
Iran says it has transferred all inmates out of the prison so workers can repair damage.
US official: Iran still has tactical capability to threaten US
A top U.S. military official says Iran still possesses “significant tactical capability” in spite of an American strike over the weekend on three of the country’s nuclear sites.
Vice Admiral Brad Cooper told lawmakers Tuesday that capability was demonstrated by a limited retaliatory missile strike by Iran a day earlier on a U.S. military base in Qatar.
In response to a question about whether Iran still poses a threat to U.S. troops and Americans around the world, he replied, “They do.”
US strikes on Iran add to global travel disruptions
Airports and skies throughout the region have been on edge since Israel began the deadly war on June 13. And in the days following the escalatory U.S. strikes, more and more carriers canceled flights, particularly in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, which sit just across the Persian Gulf from Iran.
Qatar Airways said its flights were suspended because of Monday’s closure of air traffic in Qatar. Qatar Airways shared that it was working to restore operations after the country’s airspace reopened — but noted that disruptions may continue through Thursday.
Emirates suspended all flights to Iran and Iraq, including those serving Baghdad and Basra, through June 30.
Early US intel report finds US strikes set back Iran’s nuclear program only by months
Early US intel report finds US strikes set back Iran’s nuclear program only by months. Sources say the U.S. believes based on early intelligence that significant damage was done but mostly to structures above ground. The findings are at odds with President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth insisting that Iran’snuclear program had been “obliterated” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt also disputed the finding, alleging it was leaked to CNN by a “low-level loser,” she wrote in a statement.. According to the sources, the enriched uranium was not destroyed and centrifuges are largely intact. CNN first reported the assessment, which could change as more information is gathered on the attack.
The U.S. military strikes President Donald Trump ordered on Iran’s nuclear facilities did not completely destroy the country’s nuclear program and likely set it back only by months, according to two people familiar with an early intelligence assessment.
The U.S. military strikes President Donald Trump ordered on Iran’s nuclear facilities did not completely destroy the country’s nuclear program and likely set it back only by months, according to two people familiar with an early intelligence assessment.
The U.S. military strikes President Donald Trump ordered on Iran’s nuclear facilities did not completely destroy the country’s nuclear program and likely set it back only by months, according to two people familiar with an early intelligence assessment.
The U.S. military strikes President Donald Trump ordered on Iran’s nuclear facilities did not completely destroy the country’s nuclear program and likely set it back only by months, according to two people familiar with an early intelligence assessment.
The U.S. military strikes President Donald Trump ordered on Iran’s nuclear facilities did not completely destroy the country’s nuclear program and likely set it back only by months, according to two people familiar with an early intelligence assessment.
The initial report, which is highly classified, was produced by the Defense Intelligence Agency and U.S. Central Command.
Sources say the U.S. believes based on early intelligence that significant damage was done but mostly to structures above ground.
President Donald Trump arrives for a formal dinner at the Paleis Huis ten Bosch ahead of the NATO summit in The Hague, Netherlands, Tuesday, June 24, 2025. AP Photo/Markus Schreiber
According to the sources, the enriched uranium was not destroyed and centrifuges are largely intact.
The findings are at odds with President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth insisting that Iran’s nuclear program had been “obliterated.”
In his most recent comments Tuesday morning, Trump told reporters, “I think it’s been completely demolished.”
When asked to comment Tuesday, Hegseth stuck by his own assessment of the damage done based on the intelligence he’s seen.
“Based on everything we have seen — and I’ve seen it all — our bombing campaign obliterated Iran’s ability to create nuclear weapons,” he said in a statement provided to reporters.
“Our massive bombs hit exactly the right spot at each target-and worked perfectly. The impact of those bombs is buried under a mountain of rubble in Iran; so anyone who says the bombs were not devastating is just trying to undermine the President and the successful mission,” he added.
CNN first reported the assessment, which could change as more information is gathered on the attack.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt also disputed the finding, alleging it was leaked to CNN by a “low-level loser.”
“This assessment and the leak is a clear attempt to demean President Trump, and discredit the brave fighter pilots who conducted a perfectly executed mission to obliterate Iran’s nuclear program. Everyone knows what happens when you drop fourteen 30,000 pound bombs perfectly on their targets: total obliteration,” she wrote in a statement.
ABC News’ Mary Bruce and Selina Wang contributed to this report.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
Fragile ceasefire appears to hold between Iran and Israel as Trump vents frustration with both sides
U.S. intelligence report finds Iran’s nuclear program has been set back only a few months. The White House calls the assessment “flat-out wrong” Israel accuses Iran of launching missiles into its airspace. Iran denies firing missiles after the start of the ceasefire.. Iran’s state-run television reports that a high-profile nuclear scientist was killed in an attack on his father-in-law’s residence in Iran, state TV reports. The deal got off to a rocky start, with both sides accusing the other of violating the truce, which was supposed to take effect Tuesday morning.. The U.S.-Iran conflict began with Israel targeting Iranian nuclear and military sites, saying it could not allow Tehran to develop atomic weapons and that it feared the Islamic Republic was close.. A protracted conflict could have a broad economic impact if Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz, a major shipping channel, as Iran has threatened to do. and used an expletive to hammer home his point.
The early report issued Monday by the Defense Intelligence Agency was described to The Associated Press by two people familiar with it. They were not authorized to address the matter publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity.
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The report also contradicts statements from Trump, who has said the Iranian nuclear program was “completely and fully obliterated.” The White House called the assessment “flat-out wrong.”
After the truce was supposed to take effect, Israel accused Iran of launching missiles into its airspace, and the Israeli finance minister vowed that “Tehran will tremble.”
The Iranian military denied firing on Israel , state media reported, but explosions boomed and sirens sounded across northern Israel in the morning, and an Israeli military official said two Iranian missiles were intercepted.
Trump told reporters at the White House before departing for a NATO summit that, in his view, both sides had violated the nascent agreement. He had particularly strong words for Israel, a close ally, while suggesting Iran may have fired on the country by mistake.
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But later he said the deal was saved.
“ISRAEL is not going to attack Iran. All planes will turn around and head home, while doing a friendly “Plane Wave” to Iran. Nobody will be hurt, the Ceasefire is in effect!” Trump said in his Truth Social post.
Indeed, Netanyahu’s office said he held off on tougher strikes against Iran after speaking to Trump.
A dozen tense days
The conflict, now in its 12th day, began with Israel targeting Iranian nuclear and military sites, saying it could not allow Tehran to develop atomic weapons and that it feared the Islamic Republic was close. Iran has long maintained that its program is peaceful.
If the truce holds, it will provide a global sense of relief after the U.S. intervened by dropping bunker-buster bombs on nuclear sites — a move that risked further destabilizing the volatile region.
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Trump phoned Netanyahu after the American bombing on Sunday and told him not to expect additional U.S. military attacks and that he should seek a diplomatic solution with Iran, a senior White House official said.
Trump’s position was that the U.S. had removed any imminent threat posed by Iran, according to the official, who was not authorized to comment publicly about sensitive diplomatic talks and spoke on condition of anonymity.
Israel followed up the U.S. air attacks by expanding the kinds of targets it was hitting.
After Tehran launched a limited retaliatory strike Monday on a U.S. military base in Qatar, Trump announced the ceasefire.
A protracted conflict could have a broad economic impact if Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz, a major shipping channel.
China, which is Iran’s largest trading partner and only remaining oil customer, condemned the U.S. attacks and said it was concerned about a “spiral of escalations” without a ceasefire. Trump suggested the ceasefire would allow Iranian oil to continue to flow, saying on social media that China could keep purchasing crude from Iran.
Israel accuses Iran of violating the truce. Iran denies allegation
The deal got off to a rocky start.
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An Israeli military official who spoke on the condition of anonymity in line with military regulations said Iran launched two missiles at Israel hours into the tenuous ceasefire. Both were intercepted, the official said.
Iranian state television reported that the military denied firing missiles after the start of the ceasefire — while condemning Israel for predawn strikes of its own.
One of those attacks killed a high-profile nuclear scientist, Mohammad Reza Sedighi Saber, at his father-in-law’s residence in northern Iran, Iranian state TV reported.
Trump’s frustration with the early morning strikes was palpable as he spoke to reporters before departing for the Hague. He said both sides had violated the agreement and used an expletive to hammer home his point.
“We basically have two countries that have been fighting so long and so hard that they don’t know what the f—- they’re doing,” he said.
Breakthrough announced after hostilities spread
Netanyahu said Israel agreed to the ceasefire with Iran, in coordination with Trump, after the country achieved all of its war goals, including removing the threat of Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programs.
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In a televised statement, Netanyahu said late Tuesday that Israel took out top generals and nuclear scientists and destroyed nuclear facilities in Natanz, Isfahan and the Arak heavy water reactor. He thanked Trump for his help.
It’s unclear what role Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s leader, played in the talks. He said earlier on social media that he would not surrender.
Trump said Tuesday that he wasn’t seeking regime change in Iran, two days after floating the idea himself in a social media post.
“I don’t want it,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One. “Regime change takes chaos and, ideally, we don’t want to see much chaos.”
Before the ceasefire was announced, Israel’s military said Iran launched 20 missiles toward Israel. Police said they damaged at least three densely packed residential buildings in the city of Beersheba. First responders said they retrieved four bodies from one building and were searching for more. At least 20 people were injured.
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Outside, the shells of burned out cars littered the streets. Broken glass and rubble covered the area. Police said some people were injured while inside their apartments’ reinforced safe rooms, which are meant to withstand rockets but not direct hits from ballistic missiles.
The attack followed a limited Iranian missile assault Monday on a U.S. military base in Qatar in retaliation for earlier American bombing of its nuclear sites . The U.S. was warned by Iran in advance, and there were no casualties.
Elsewhere, U.S. forces shot down drones attacking the Ain al-Assad base in the desert in western Iraq and a base next to the Baghdad airport, while another one crashed, according to a senior U.S. military official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to comment publicly.
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No casualties were reported, and no group claimed responsibility for the attacks in Iraq. Some Iran-backed Iraqi militias had previously threatened to target U.S. bases if the U.S. attacked Iran.
Conflict has killed hundreds
In Israel, at least 28 people have been killed and more than 1,000 wounded in the war. Israeli strikes on Iran have killed at least 974 people and wounded 3,458 others, according to the Washington-based group Human Rights Activists.
The group, which has provided detailed casualty figures from Iranian unrest, said of those killed, it identified 387 civilians and 268 security force personnel.
The U.S. has evacuated some 250 American citizens and their immediate family members from Israel by government, military and charter flights that began over the weekend, a State Department official said.
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There are roughly 700,000 American citizens, most of them dual U.S.-Israeli citizens, believed to be in Israel.
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