US President Donald Trump has dismissed as “fake news” recent reports by some American news outlets that suggested that American airstrikes "failed" to destroy Iran’s nuclear sites. He accused both media outlets of attempting to undermine what he described as “one of the most successful military strikes in history”.
The sharp rebuttal came through a statement issued on Truth Social, the social media platform launched by Trump. "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 statement read.
Trump, reiterating claims made earlier in the week, insisted that Iran's nuclear facilities were now beyond repair. “IRAN WILL NEVER REBUILD THEIR NUCLEAR FACILITIES!” he wrote on Tuesday, referencing the Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan nuclear complexes targeted during "Operation Midnight Hammer".
However, CNN, citing seven individuals briefed on the matter, reported that initial assessments by the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) suggested the strikes may have only caused temporary setbacks to Tehran’s nuclear ambitions, possibly delaying progress by a few months.
Also read: US airstrikes failed to destroy Iran’s nuclear sites: Intel
According to US Central Command’s battle damage assessment, the strikes—carried out with B-2 bombers deploying over a dozen 30,000-pound bunker-buster bombs—inflicted heavy damage on above-ground infrastructure. These included power grids and facilities involved in uranium metal conversion.
But the same reports indicate the core of Iran’s nuclear capabilities—centrifuges and underground enrichment systems—remained largely unscathed. Intelligence sources quoted by CNN added that enriched uranium stockpiles were likely moved ahead of the strikes.
Israel, which conducted its own pre-emptive operations before the US assault, reportedly found less-than-expected damage at the Fordow facility. It had initially been anticipated that combined US-Israeli efforts could potentially set back Iran’s nuclear programme by up to two years.
Doubts continue to persist over the efficacy of the US’s Massive Ordnance Penetrators in breaching Iran’s deeply buried underground sites. Despite high-yield bombing runs, the fortified nature of Fordow and similar locations appears to have thwarted complete neutralisation.
Trump’s defence chief, Pete Hegseth, had earlier echoed the President’s claim that the strikes had “completely obliterated” Iran’s nuclear capabilities.
Nevertheless, media scrutiny over the actual extent of the damage has intensified.
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