‘If the Iranians chose to rebuild, they would have to rebuild all three facilities,’ the director of nationwide intelligence stated.
Director of Nationwide Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard stated on Wednesday that new intelligence has proven that U.S. strikes on Iran set again the nation’s capability to provide nuclear weapons, disputing a report that it will solely give the regime just a few months’ delay.
“New intelligence confirms what @POTUS has stated numerous times: Iran’s nuclear facilities have been destroyed. If the Iranians chose to rebuild, they would have to rebuild all three facilities (Natanz, Fordow, Esfahan) entirely, which would likely take years to do,” Gabbard wrote in a submit on X on Wednesday.
A number of media shops, citing nameless sources, reported that the Protection Intelligence Company (DIA) discovered that strikes on three Iranian amenities over the previous weekend weren’t as important as what has been publicly claimed. These stories additionally claimed that Iran moved a lot of its uranium provide earlier than the airstrikes.
Echoing Gabbard’s assertion Wednesday, CIA Director John Ratlciffe wrote on X that “a body of credible evidence indicates” that the Iranian nuclear program was “severely damaged” by the U.S. strikes a number of days in the past, additionally disputing the reporting Tuesday.
Gabbard, Ratcliffe, and President Donald Trump denied these media shops’ claims, describing the DNI report as preliminary.
“The propaganda media has deployed their usual tactic: selectively release portions of illegally leaked classified intelligence assessments (intentionally leaving out the fact that the assessment was written with “low confidence”) to attempt to undermine President Trump’s decisive management and the courageous servicemen and girls who flawlessly executed a very historic mission to maintain the American folks protected and safe,” Gabbard stated in her assertion on Wednesday.
Over the weekend, america launched a number of airstrikes on three Iranian nuclear amenities simply over per week after Iran and Israel launched assaults one another each day, prompting fears of a wider, extended battle.
Gabbard’s remark comes simply hours after Trump learn aloud a press release by Israeli officers that stated the Iranian amenities, together with the Fordow web site that’s partially buried beneath a mountain, have been completely destroyed by U.S. B-2 bombers.
“The devastating U.S. strike on Fordow destroyed the site’s critical infrastructure and rendered the enrichment facility totally inoperable,” Trump stated at a NATO convention within the Netherlands, studying the assertion from the Israeli Atomic Vitality Fee.
The Israeli company assesses “that the American strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities have set back Iran’s ability to develop nuclear weapons for many years to come,” he stated.
Trump stated the strikes have been liable for ending the 12-day battle between Israel and Iran and in contrast them to america’ use of atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan, which introduced an finish to World Battle II in 1945.
The president has stated that Iran can not have a nuclear weapon, though the nation’s regime has lengthy stated that its nuclear program is for peaceable functions.
Earlier this week, Trump introduced that Israel and Iran would take part in a cease-fire settlement in a bid to finish the battle by which the 2 international locations have been launching missiles at each other. Israel first struck Iran on June 13 and stated it eradicated various the regime’s high generals and commanders.
Earlier than, Trump floated the concept Iran may bear “regime change” if the nation doesn’t transfer to barter over its nuclear program. However on Tuesday, he advised reporters that he doesn’t desire a change within the authorities, which has dominated Iran as an autocratic theocracy since 1979 following a revolution that led to a lethal hostage disaster on the U.S. Embassy in Tehran that lasted greater than a 12 months.
Reuters contributed to this report.
In the event you discovered this text attention-grabbing, please think about supporting conventional journalism
Our first version was printed 25 years in the past from a basement in Atlanta. At present, The Epoch Occasions brings fact-based, award-winning journalism to tens of millions of Individuals.
Our journalists have been threatened, arrested, and assaulted, however our dedication to impartial journalism has by no means wavered. This 12 months marks our twenty fifth 12 months of impartial reporting, free from company and political affect.
That’s why you’re invited to a limited-time introductory supply — simply $1 per week — so you’ll be able to be a part of tens of millions already celebrating impartial information.
