Report suggests US strikes only set back Iran’s nuclear programme by months

Michelle L Price, Associated Press

A new US intelligence report found that Iran’s nuclear programme has been set back only a few months after a US strike, and was not “completely and fully obliterated” as President Donald Trump has said.

The early intelligence report issued by the Defence Intelligence Agency on Monday contradicts statements from Mr Trump and Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu about the status of Iran’s nuclear facilities.

According to people familiar with the situation, the report found that while the Saturday strikes at the Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan nuclear sites did significant damage, they were not totally destroyed.

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Pushed back

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 programme,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement.

“Everyone knows what happens when you drop 14 30,000 pound bombs perfectly on their targets: total obliteration.”

The CIA and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence declined to comment on the DIA assessment.

ODNI coordinates the work of the nation’s 18 intelligence agencies, including the DIA, which is the intelligence arm of the Defence Department, responsible for producing intelligence on foreign militaries and the capabilities of adversaries.

The intelligence assessment was first reported by CNN on Tuesday.

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