The Trump administration is pressing back on a new intelligence assessment that contradicts President Trump’s repeated assertions that U.S. airstrikes “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear facilities last month.
Citing five current and former U.S. officials familiar with the latest assessment, NBC News reported Thursday that Iran’s Fordow nuclear enrichment site was mostly destroyed in the U.S. military operation, while two others — Isfahan and Natanz — may have only been set back by months and could resume operations.
The Pentagon pushed back on this report.
“The credibility of the Fake News Media is similar to that of the current state of the Iranian nuclear facilities: destroyed, in the dirt, and will take years to recover,” Pentagon spokesperson SeanParnell said in a statement to The Hill’s sister network NewsNation.
“President Trump was clear and the American people understand: Iran’s nuclear facilities in Fordow, Isfahan, and Natanz were completely and totally obliterated,” he added. “There’s no doubt about that.”
The White House also pushed back on the latest NBC News report.
Reports first surfaced last month, shortly after the U.S. launched its surprise attacks on Tehran’s nuclear sites, that U.S. intelligence officials at the Defense Department found that the attacks did not destroy Iran’s nuclear infrastructure.
NBC News reported that American and Israeli leaders have since discussed whether additional strikes on two less-damaged facilities could be necessary if Iran does not restart negotiations on a nuclear deal.
Welcome to The Hill’s Defense & National Security newsletter, I’m Ellen Mitchell — your guide to the latest developments at the Pentagon, on Capitol Hill and beyond.
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Upcoming things we’re watching in and around the defense world:
The Aspen Institutewill hold its 2025 Security Forum with U.S. Ambassador to Turkey Tom Barrack, former CIA Director David Petraeus, Senate Intelligence ranking member Mark Warner (R-Va.), Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.), former Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson, former Defense Secretary Mark Esper, Australian Ambassador to the U.S. Kevin Rudd, former Defense Secretary Robert Gates, former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, and former White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan starting at 11 a.m. tomorrow.
What We’re Reading
News we’ve flagged from other outlets:
Senate panel backs plans for $456 billion VA budget next year (Military Times)
Naval Academy settles on shorter list of banned books as Pentagon panel weighs ultimate decision (Military.com)
Opinion in The Hill
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