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 a few months, countering Donald Trump's claims of "obliteration", CNN reported, citing three sources briefed on a US intel analysis.

The assessment, which has not been previously reported, was produced by the Defense Intelligence Agency, the Pentagon's intelligence arm, and is based on a battle damage assessment conducted by the US Central Command after the strikes, according to one of the sources.

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, though the early findings contradict President Donald Trump’s repeated claims that the strikes "completely and totally obliterated" Iran’s nuclear enrichment facilities. US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth echoed these claims.

Read More: Blinken slams Trump’s strikes on Iran as 'unwise', 'unnecessary'

US intel says strike did not obliterate, White House disagrees

Iran's stockpile of enriched uranium was not destroyed, and the centrifuges remain largely "intact", according to the Defense Intelligence Agency assessment, which concluded that the US strikes set back Iran's nuclear program by only a few months, at most, according to two of the people familiar with the assessment.

The White House outright disagreed with the assessment, with Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt telling CNN that the intelligence assessment was incorrect, claiming it was improperly leaked by an unnamed, low-level official.

She asserted the disclosure was meant to undermine President Trump and discredit the military operation, insisting that the precision airstrikes, which deployed fourteen 30,000-pound bombs, completely destroyed Iran's nuclear program. Meanwhile, the US military claimed that the strikes on Iran went as planned and were an "overwhelming success".

The US currently lacks a comprehensive understanding of the strikes' full impact, as it remains too early for a complete assessment. The US continues gathering intelligence, including from within Iran, to evaluate the damage, CNN reported.

Read More: France distances itself from US attacks on Iran’s nuclear sites

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Iran's uranium, centrifuges remain intact

In the days preceding the US military operation, "Israel" had been conducting strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities but asserted that the US's 30,000-pound bunker buster bombs were necessary to complete the mission.

US B-2 bombers dropped more than a dozen bombs on two nuclear facilities, the Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant and the Natanz Enrichment Complex, though the strikes failed to fully destroy the sites' centrifuges and stockpiles of highly enriched uranium, according to individuals familiar with the assessment.

The strikes caused significant damage to aboveground structures at the three targeted sites, Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan, including their power infrastructure and facilities used for converting uranium into bomb-grade metal, but left critical underground components largely intact, according to the sources.

Israeli media outlets reported that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Trump "celebrated early", pointing to US intelligence reports on the undamaged uranium stockpiles. Israeli media also highlighted the split within the US administration regarding their assessment of the strikes' results. 

Trump admin claims obliteration, US officials say otherwise

“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," Hegseth told CNN.

The Defense Secretary claimed that the spokesperson emphasized that the destructive power of the bombs remains evident beneath the massive debris in Iran, dismissing any claims to the contrary as politically motivated attempts to disparage both the President and the operation's clear success.

On Tuesday morning, Trump reiterated his conviction that the strikes caused substantial damage, stating that he believes the targets were "completely demolished" and praising the pilots for successfully hitting and obliterating their objectives while emphasizing they deserve full credit for the operation.

While Trump and Hegseth have expressed confidence in the strikes' success, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine stated on Sunday that the damage assessment remains ongoing and cautioned that it would be premature to determine whether Iran retains any nuclear capabilities.

Read More: Behind the scenes: Trump's decision to strike Iran mapped - CNN

Cancelled briefings expose more

Classified briefings for both the House and Senate regarding the operation, originally scheduled for Tuesday, were postponed, with the all-Senate briefing now rescheduled for Thursday, according to two sources familiar with the matter.

According to two separate sources familiar with the matter, the briefing for all House lawmakers has been postponed as well, though the reasons for the delay and the new scheduling timeline remain unclear at this time.

Democratic Congressman Pat Ryan of New York criticized the cancellation of the classified House briefing on the Iran strikes in a social media post, emphasizing that the move came without explanation and implying the administration avoided the session because it couldn't substantiate Trump's claims of completely destroying Iran's nuclear facilities and capabilities.

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

Here's what they're scared we'll ask:

🧵

— Pat Ryan 🇺🇸 (@PatRyanUC) June 24, 2025