According to a new Pentagon report, America’s military attacks on Iranian nuclear sites under the Trump administration failed to fully destroy Iran’s nuclear program. This finding directly counters previous assertions about the effectiveness of those strikes. While the report confirms extensive damage occurred, the main archaeological sites escaped greatly affecting operations. Moreover, Iran moved its mostly highly enriched uranium stockpile underground well in advance of the attacks.
The US military targeted three main facilities: Natanz, Fordow, and Isfahan. As far as Trump is concerned, these military strikes led to the total obliteration of all enrichment facilities at Natanz and Fordow. During the strike, B2 bombers dropped 12 GBU-57 bombs on Fordow and two on Natanz. At the same time, they fired at least 30 Tomahawk missiles into Isfahan. Estimates indicate that the bombings achieved not much more than a few months’ delay of Iran’s nuclear goals.
The installation at Fordow is especially well-protected, buried hundreds of feet underground deep below the Zagros mountains. It is built largely within 145 to 300 ft (45 to 90 m) of bedrock, mainly limestone and dolomite. The Defense Threat Reduction Agency at the Pentagon has already said the GBU-57 bombs used in these strikes won’t penetrate deep enough. Consequently, they will not be able to bring about complete devastation at Fordow. They observed that the kind of devastation they foresaw could only be accomplished by use of a tactical nuclear weapon.
Recently, US Vice President JD Vance admitted some of those fears. He further acknowledged that Washington still doesn’t know exactly where Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium is. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has recently shared a catastrophic story. After the strikes, they are unable to account for approximately 400 kg of uranium enriched to the 60% purity level.
In a later statement, Trump even doubled down, claiming he had “totally destroyed” Iran’s nuclear infrastructure. He stressed on the panel the importance of peace in the region, calling Iran “the bully of the Middle East.”
“Iran’s key nuclear enrichment facilities have been completely and totally obliterated. Iran, the bully of the Middle East, must now make peace.” – Donald Trump
The Pentagon’s report contradicts these assertions, asserting that two of the targeted sites were not destroyed and remain capable of supporting Iran’s nuclear program. This contradiction at a minimum raises serious doubts about the effectiveness and long-term impact of these military strikes.
The IAEA’s latest conclusion points to a worrisome trend in Iran’s nuclear activities. They exaggerated an unexplained increase in the country’s stockpile of enriched uranium. The agency highlighted that absent meaningful oversight, the chance of Iran further developing its nuclear capabilities increases dramatically.
Karoline Leavitt, a spokesperson for Trump, blasted the decision to leak the Pentagon assessment. She stated, “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.”