Trump's strikes on Iran set back nuclear program by months, initial intel assessment finds

[ad_1] An preliminary labeled evaluation discovered the U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear amenities set again Tehran's nuclear program by a matter of months, in line with three sources aware of its contents.

The evaluation, produced by the Protection Intelligence Company, the Pentagon's army intelligence wing, mentioned the strikes brought about the entrances to 2 nuclear enrichment amenities, together with Fordo , to be sealed off . Resumption of the enrichment program could also be decided by how lengthy it takes Iran to clear the entrances and make repairs to electrical and water provides, two sources aware of the report's findings mentioned.

The DIA evaluation additionally signifies a few of Iran's enriched uranium stockpile was moved earlier than the strikes, one of many sources mentioned.

Officers aware of the report cautioned that it was an early evaluation that would change as extra info turns into obtainable concerning the websites. It was not instantly clear at what confidence stage the judgments included within the report had been made.

A whole battle injury evaluation remains to be being assembled, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Employees Gen. Dan Caine mentioned on Sunday at a press availability.

"Closing battle injury will take a while, however preliminary battle injury assessments point out that every one three websites sustained extraordinarily extreme injury and destruction," Caine mentioned.

President Trump mentioned in an handle to the nation following the strikes that "Iran's nuclear enrichment amenities have been utterly and completely obliterated."

On Wednesday, Israel Protection Forces spokesman Colonel Avichay Adraee mentioned in a one-line social media publish that the IDF had "confirmed, based mostly on the assessments of the Army Intelligence Company, that we succeeded throughout Operation #RisingLion in setting again Iran's nuclear program by a few years."

Rising Lion is the title the IDF gave to its 12-day army assault on Iran's nuclear and army websites, and another targets linked to its management.

The U.S. Air Drive joined these strikes, on President Trump's orders, dropping a number of 30,000-pound bombs on the Fordo uranium enrichment facility early Sunday morning native time. However the DIA evaluation discovered the positioning's enrichment infrastructure — which is situated a whole lot of toes beneath a mountain — is so deep underground that it stays largely intact, one supply mentioned.

The evaluation offers a variety of prospects for a way lengthy it can take for Iran to regain entry to the underground amenities and resume its work, starting from a couple of months to lower than a 12 months, the supply instructed CBS Information. The supply added that Trump administration officers had been warned previous to the strike that this was a doable final result.

The evaluation was based mostly on satellite tv for pc imagery and indicators intelligence, which is gleaned from the communications of Iranian officers, one of many sources mentioned.

Present and former nationwide safety officers have expressed considerations that leaving Iran with any residual nuclear capabilities — together with entry to uranium already enriched to 60% and dealing centrifuges — might intensify and speed up the regime's dedication to create a working weapon.

A few of the particulars contained within the DIA evaluation had been beforehand reported by CNN.

The White Home has pushed again on the findings. Press secretary Karoline Leavitt referred to as the evaluation "flat-out incorrect" and mentioned it was leaked "by an nameless, low-level loser within the intelligence neighborhood."

"The leaking of this alleged evaluation is a transparent try and demean President Trump, and discredit the courageous fighter pilots who carried out a wonderfully executed mission to obliterate Iran's nuclear program," Leavitt mentioned. "Everybody is aware of what occurs if you drop fourteen 30,000 pound bombs completely on their targets: complete obliteration."

Mr. Trump blasted stories on the DIA evaluation in a Fact Social publish, writing, "THE NUCLEAR SITES IN IRAN ARE COMPLETELY DESTROYED!"

The Pentagon additionally stood by Protection Secretary Pete Hegseth's prior declare that the strikes had "obliterated" Iran's nuclear capabilities.

"The impression of these bombs is buried below a mountain of rubble in Iran; so anybody who says the bombs weren't devastating is simply making an attempt to undermine the President and the profitable mission," Hegseth mentioned in a press release.

In an interview with Fox Information' "The Ingraham Angle," Mr. Trump's Center East envoy Steve Witkoff referred to as the discharge of the DIA report "treasonous." He mentioned "we all know for a reality" that the Natanz website was destroyed, and mentioned of the Fordo strike, "there is not any doubt that it was obliterated."

Witkoff additionally mentioned "will probably be nearly unimaginable for them to resurrect that program," including, "it can take a interval of years."

A labeled briefing for Congress on the administration's actions in Iran that had been scheduled for Tuesday was cancelled. Senate lawmakers are as a substitute to be briefed by high intelligence and army officers on Thursday, one congressional aide aware of the plan instructed CBS Information. An analogous briefing for the Home can be held on Friday, in line with Home Speaker Mike Johnson.

Mr. Trump ordered strikes Saturday on Iran's Fordo and Natanz uranium enrichment websites, in addition to a nuclear analysis facility in Isfahan. The operation — carried out with B-2 bombers and submarine-launched cruise missiles — added to a greater than weeklong Israeli marketing campaign in opposition to Iranian nuclear and army websites, drawing Iranian counterattacks . A ceasefire between Israel and Iran took impact Tuesday and seems to be holding.

The strikes had been aimed toward stymying Iran's nuclear program. Iran has boosted its stockpile of extremely enriched uranium in current months, prompting considerations it was advancing towards a weapon.

American intelligence companies have assessed Iran isn't at present constructing a nuclear weapon. On the identical day that Mr. Trump approved strikes Saturday, one U.S. company assessed that Iran might make a nuclear weapon in as little as three to eight months, however there was no indication that the nation's Supreme Chief had approved an effort to take action, CBS Information has reported. Different U.S. intelligence companies have mentioned Iran would wish a minimal of six to eighteen months to create a weapon they may ship with success.

However Israel has alleged Iran is "racing in direction of a nuclear bomb," and Mr. Trump mentioned final week he believed Iran was "very near having one." Iran has insisted its nuclear program is peaceable.

Eleanor Watson, Alan He and Cristina Corujo contributed to this report.

The Standoff with Iran Extra

Nancy Cordes

Nancy Cordes is CBS Information' chief White Home correspondent based mostly in Washington, D.C. Cordes has gained quite a few awards for her reporting, together with a number of Emmys, Edward R. Murrow awards, and an Alfred I. duPont-Columbia College Award.