On June 26, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth stated that he is unaware of intelligence indicating that Iran relocated its uranium to avoid being targeted in U.S. airstrikes over the previous weekend.
At a press conference, Hegseth stated, “I am not aware of any intelligence that I have reviewed that says things were not where they were supposed to be, whether they were moved or not.”
Hegseth criticised the media for underestimating the effectiveness of U.S. operations against Iran’s nuclear program.
The Pentagon chief stated that a leaked preliminary assessment was of low confidence and had been supplanted by intelligence that demonstrated the significant damage to Iran’s nuclear program caused by the U.S. strikes. He also stated that the program would require years to reconstruct, citing comments from CIA Director John Ratcliffe.
“This encompasses new intelligence from a historically reliable and accurate source/method that several critical Iranian nuclear facilities were destroyed and would require years of reconstruction,” Ratcliffe stated in a statement on June 25, echoing the comments made by Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard in a post on social media platform X.
Also on June 26, Iranian leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei rejected the U.S. assessment that Iran’s nuclear program was severely damaged or destroyed, asserting that the United States “failed to achieve their objectives” in destroying the nuclear facilities, as reported by the state-run media outlet Tasnim News Agency.
Fox News was informed by the chief of the U.N. International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) that U.N. officials were unable to locate the Iranian uranium following the U.S. strikes.
“We are unaware of the location of this material,” informed IAEA Director-General Rafael Mariano Grossi to the media outlet.
Grossi stated in a recent interview with RFI that the Natanz, Isfahan, and Fordow uranium enrichment sites were likely the targets of Israeli and U.S. airstrikes, which resulted in “immense damage” to Iran’s nuclear program.
He stated, “I can assure you that there is a significant amount of damage, and I believe that this is a consensus among all parties.”
Grossi stated that the airstrikes have rendered the centrifuges nonfunctional, which is a known fact in relation to the Fordow site, which was partially concealed beneath a mountain.
Grossi responded to President Donald Trump’s assertion that Iran’s nuclear capabilities were destroyed by saying, “I believe the term ‘annihilated’ is excessive; however, it sustained substantial damage.”
On June 25, Esmail Baghaei, the spokesperson for the Iranian Foreign Ministry, acknowledged that the attack had seriously damaged Iran’s nuclear installations. On the same day, The Epoch Times received an email from the White House that contained that statement.
Israel and Iran exchanged aerial strikes for approximately 12 days prior to the U.S. strikes on the facilities. Trump subsequently proclaimed a ceasefire on social media.
Iranian officials reported that 606 individuals had been killed in the conflict in Israel, with 5,332 others wounded earlier this week. Israeli officials reported that at least 28 individuals had been slain in Israel, and over 1,000 others were injured.
Trump has also stated that American and Iranian officials will engage in a dialogue next week, which has sparked optimism for the establishment of a more enduring peace in the region.
Leave a Reply