Trump Claims US Bombing of Iranian Nuclear Sites Achieved Total Destruction
In a statement on Saturday, former President Donald Trump asserted that the recent US airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities “completely destroyed” the targeted sites. This declaration came in response to reports suggesting that some of these facilities had remained largely intact.
Using his Truth Social platform, Trump repeated his claim that “all three nuclear sites in Iran were completely destroyed and/or OBLITERATED.” He suggested that if Iran wished to restore these facilities, it would take years, and they might be better off starting from scratch in new locations.
On June 22, the US conducted bomb and missile strikes against Iran’s controversial nuclear program, specifically targeting the uranium enrichment facility at Fordo, as well as sites in Isfahan and Natanz. These actions were coordinated with an Israeli operation against Iranian military infrastructure, and they were described by Washington as a decisive blow to Iran’s long-standing attempts to develop nuclear weapons.
Iran, however, maintains it has never sought to weaponize its civilian nuclear program.
Despite Trump’s assertions of success, various US media outlets have reported leaked intelligence that presents a less clear situation. An NBC News report suggested that only one of the three targeted sites was mostly destroyed, while the other two were likely repairable and could resume uranium enrichment in “the next several months.” According to the report, which cited five current and former US officials, the Pentagon had even considered a more extensive bombing campaign that could have inflicted considerably more damage on Iranian facilities, instead of the quick operation that was ultimately conducted.
