US President Donald Trump has slammed CNN for its report suggesting that the US strikes did not destroy nuclear sites in Iran. Trump said CNN, along with The New York Times, teamed up to “demean one of the most successful military strikes in history” and termed it “fake news.”
He reiterated his claim that the US has completely destroyed nuclear sites in Iran. According to him, both media outlets have faced backlash from the people.
In a statement shared on his social media platform Truth Social, Trump stated:
“FAKE NEWS CNN, TOGETHER WITH THE FAILING NEW YORK TIMES, HAVE TEAMED UP IN AN ATTEMPT TO DEMEAN ONE OF THE MOST SUCCESSFUL MILITARY STRIKES IN HISTORY. THE NUCLEAR SITES IN IRAN ARE COMPLETELY DESTROYED! BOTH THE TIMES AND CNN ARE GETTING SLAMMED BY THE PUBLIC!”
The findings, first reported by CNN citing seven individuals briefed on the assessments, noted that the early evaluation from the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) suggested that the attacks only caused a temporary disruption—possibly setting Tehran’s nuclear program back by a few months.
The findings, based on a battle damage assessment by US Central Command, contradict public claims made by President Trump and Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, who had earlier asserted that the US had “completely obliterated” Iran’s nuclear capabilities, CNN reported.
According to CNN, citing intelligence sources, the centrifuges in Iran’s nuclear facilities remain mostly functional, and enriched uranium stockpiles were likely moved before the strikes.
The US strikes targeted Iran’s Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan nuclear sites. While they caused significant damage to above-ground structures such as power infrastructure and uranium metal conversion facilities—they failed to neutralize the underground enrichment systems.
As per CNN, the US deployed B-2 bombers that dropped over a dozen 30,000-pound bunker-buster bombs during the assault. However, the underground components reportedly remained largely intact.
Israel, which conducted its own strikes before the US operation, also found less damage at Fordow than anticipated. Though earlier it was believed that the combined efforts might delay Iran’s nuclear ambitions by up to two years, CNN reported doubts on the US’s capability to destroy deeply buried sites using Massive Ordnance Penetrators.
Earlier on Tuesday (local time), Trump claimed that Iran would “never be able to rebuild” its nuclear facilities following the American airstrikes carried out under “Operation Midnight Hammer” over the weekend. He said that the sites were now “under rock,” referring to Iran’s nuclear facilities at Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan.
Taking to Truth Social, Trump wrote:
“IRAN WILL NEVER REBUILD THEIR NUCLEAR FACILITIES!”
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