New Delhi: US President Donald Trump rebuffed news reports suggesting that the recent strikes carried out by America against Iran did not inflict damage on Tehran’s nuclear sites. Reiterating that Iranian nuclear facilities were “completely destroyed”, Trump said that attempts are being made to “demean one of the most successful military strikes in history”.
“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 US President posted on Truth Social.
Trump’s remarks came after a US intelligence report revealed that Iran’s nuclear programme has been set back only a few months after a US strike and was not “completely and fully obliterated” as claimed by Trump. The intelligence assessment first reported by CNN on Tuesday also claimed that the US’ strikes damaged the nuclear sites significantly but did not damaged them totally.
Intel report contradicts Trump, Netanyahu’s claims
The intelligence report issued by the Defense Intelligence Agency on Monday controverted Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s claims about the status of Iran’s nuclear facilities. The US had on early Sunday struck three nuclear sites of Iran – Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan – entering the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran. Following the strikes, the US President had claimed that the bombing left the nuclear facilities in Iran “totally destroyed” and that Iran will never rebuild its nuclear facilities. Netanyahu had also said that the US and Israel have brought to ruin Iran’s nuclear programme. He also said that Iran would not have nuclear weapons.
The White House strongly rejected the intel report and called it “flat-out wrong.” “The leaking of this alleged assessment is a clear attempt to demean President Trump, and discredit the brave fighter pilots who conducted a perfectly executed mission to obliterate Iran’s nuclear program,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement.
