The conflicting claims between the White House and the intelligence community have widened a fresh divide over national security disclosures and media scrutiny. While the President has celebrated the strikes as a decisive blow, intelligence leaks paint a picture of limited gains and surviving capabilities.
As both narratives continue to evolve, the true impact of the strikes on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure remains under public and political scrutiny.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump wrote in capital letters: “FAKE NEWS CNN”. Together with the failing New York Times, CNN has teamed up in an attempt to demean one of the most successful military strikes in history, he said. The nuclear sites in Iran are completely destroyed, Trump insisted.
He went on to add: “Both The Times and CNN are getting slammed by the public!”
These remarks followed a report by CNN that cited a classified review from the Pentagon’s Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA). The assessment concluded the strikes only set back Iran’s nuclear advancement temporarily, not permanently.The DIA review, shared with CNN and Reuters by officials familiar with the matter, stated that although Iran’s sites at Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan suffered significant damage, the core of its nuclear capability remained.Some uranium stockpiles and underground centrifuges reportedly survived the assault or had been moved before the strikes.
It also noted that key sections of the programme had been safeguarded in anticipation of such attacks, raising questions about the long-term impact of the operation.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt responded directly to the report, saying, “Everyone knows what happens when you drop fourteen 30,000 pound bombs perfectly on their targets: total obliteration.”
She called the report “flat-out wrong” and described it as “a clear attempt to demean President Trump”.
In a televised speech, President Trump repeated his claim: “The strikes were a spectacular military success. Iran’s key nuclear enrichment facilities have been completely and totally obliterated.”
US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff went a step further. In a Fox News appearance, he labelled the intelligence leak “treasonous” and said, “Those responsible should be held accountable. The site was obliterated.”
