President Donald Trump asserted on Wednesday that Israeli operatives examined Iran’s Fordow nuclear facility following recent U.S. airstrikes and reported that the site was “completely destroyed.”
He also issued a caution that further measures would be taken if Iran resumed uranium enrichment, as reported by FirstPost.
“They have personnel who enter after the strike, and they indicated it was total destruction,” Trump informed attendees and journalists at a NATO meeting in The Hague this week.
Trump further stated that Israel is in the process of preparing a comprehensive damage assessment and implied that Iran had no opportunity to relocate any materials from the site prior to the strike.
He likened the U.S. airstrikes on Iran’s Fordow and Natanz nuclear facilities to the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, asserting that both had a similarly decisive impact in halting conflict.
Trump’s language became increasingly dramatic throughout the day, as he dismissed reports from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) indicating that Iran’s 400kg stockpile of 60 percent enriched uranium had gone missing, as noted by Forbes.
Earlier this week, U.S. Vice President JD Vance acknowledged that the U.S. was unsure about the location of the uranium and stated that the matter would be discussed in forthcoming talks with Iranian officials.
On Wednesday, CIA Director John Ratcliffe confirmed that Iran’s nuclear program had suffered substantial damage and would take years to reconstruct. “Several key nuclear facilities were destroyed,” he stated, referencing credible intelligence sources.
Trump also revealed that a meeting between the U.S. and Iran is likely to occur next week to discuss Tehran’s nuclear program. “We may sign an agreement, or we may not,” he remarked. “I am indifferent to whether an agreement is reached or not.”
Additionally, the president seemed less confident about a lasting cease-fire and peace between Israel and Iran after previously announcing earlier in the week that it would endure “forever.”
“They are both fatigued… but is it possible for it to commence again? Perhaps. Perhaps in the near future,” he remarked, according to FirstPost.
In the meantime, a recently leaked report from the Defense Intelligence Agency following the strikes asserted that the Iranian programs had only been delayed “by months.” However, this evaluation — which media outlets such as CNN and the New York Times neglected to report — indicated that the intelligence was of “low confidence.”
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated this week that the FBI is collaborating with the Pentagon to identify the individual responsible for the leak, and that criminal charges are probable.
During a conversation with Fox News host Jesse Watters on Thursday, Senator Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) suggested that the leak must have originated from a member of the House or Senate on the intelligence committees due to their access to those reports.
“Currently, they are searching for a leaker. So, how does Congress fit into this? They are now examining Congress. Initially, I thought it was someone from the Pentagon, but now they are indicating it could have been a Congressional member. Do they access it through a computer, how does this process work?” the host inquired of Graham.
“You receive the report. Members of Congress on certain committees obtain the initial assessment. I can assure you that I am not the leaker,” Graham replied.
“I am not promoting the narrative that this was a successful strike,” Graham stated. “This was destruction by the definition in the dictionary, and if you were present on the ground…” he continued before Watters interjected to ask him to clarify how the process functions in Congress regarding intelligence reports.
“We receive information—certain committees do—regarding the initial assessment from the Defense Intelligence Agency. Someone leaked that assessment to imply that the operation was not as Trump described it,” the senator explained.
“They possess a political agenda. One does not need to be Sherlock Holmes to deduce this. It is someone who aims to undermine Trump. Could it be a member of Congress? Possibly. I do not care what your title is. If you leaked classified information, you…”
