Pentagon Claims US Strikes Set Back Iran's Nuclear Program by Up to Two Years

Pentagon Assessment of US Strikes

• 🎯 The Pentagon stated that US strikes conducted 10 days prior have degraded Iran's nuclear program by as much as two years.
• ⚠️ This assessment contrasts with a previous, more cautious leak suggesting the strikes might have only set the program back by months.

Intelligence and Assessments

• ⚡ US military bombers targeted three Iranian nuclear facilities on June 22nd.
• 🗣️ Pentagon spokesman Shawn Parnell indicated the degradation was likely closer to two years.
• 📉 A preliminary assessment from the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) suggested a setback of only months, but Trump administration officials deemed this low-confidence.

International and Expert Opinions

• 🌍 The head of the UN nuclear watchdog noted that Iran could be producing enriched uranium within a few months.
• 🧐 Experts caution that Iran may have moved highly enriched uranium from the Fordo site before the strikes.
• 💬 Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Arachi stated that the Fordo site had been "seriously and heavily damaged."