Sources confirm US has seriously damaged Iran’s nuclear program
US intelligence says Iran's nuclear facilities have been severely damaged in recent strikes CIA Director John Ratcliffe has officially confirmed that the recent targeted attacks by the United States on key Iranian nuclear infrastructure have seriously undermined the potential of Iran's nuclear program. According to him, this operation caused significant losses, and the restoration of the destroyed facilities will require several years of hard work and significant resources. This is the first official confirmation that the strategic attack has seriously affected Iran's plans to develop nuclear weapons. John Ratcliffe noted that the CIA now has intelligence based on highly reliable sources and accurate information collection methods. In particular, he emphasized that several key nuclear facilities, including those at Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan, were destroyed or damaged so severely that it would take the Iranians several years to restore them. The official also added that the intelligence team continues to collect additional information to fully understand the situation and provide timely recommendations to US government agencies. In his comments, he emphasized that it is likely that their efforts will remain open to the public, since the issue of Iran's nuclear program is of extreme importance to the national security of the United States. "We strive to make this information as transparent as possible so that the public is informed about the real state of affairs," Ratcliffe emphasized. Background to the conflict On June 21, at midnight Iranian time, the US Air Force carried out a sudden and deliberate attack on three nuclear facilities in Iran - Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan. This operation was part of a larger strategic campaign aimed at limiting Iran's nuclear potential. However, two days later, on June 24, American media outlets, including CNN and The New York Times, reported that the strikes had not destroyed the main components of Iran's nuclear program. According to them, the damaged facilities were likely to resume operations within a few months, significantly reducing the risk of Iran's rapid development of nuclear weapons. After the publications, the first reactions became known. US President Donald Trump reacted sharply to the media reports, accusing them of spreading "fake news", and stated that the operation was successful, and any attempts to discredit it were a political provocation. Trump also emphasized that the United States had done everything possible to limit Iran's nuclear program and would not allow it to develop actively. Later, the tone changed in the White House: information appeared about intentions to limit the exchange of classified information with Congress. This is due to the leak of internal intelligence data, which confirmed that the results of the operation were less impressive than initially claimed. TV channels and newspapers have again raised questions about the transparency and effectiveness of American special operations in the region, as well as about the vacillation of the administration's policy course towards Iran. The situation therefore remains tense. The United States continues to collect and analyze intelligence in order to determine the best strategic steps in the region, since the Iranian nuclear program still poses a potential threat not only to the Middle East, but also to the entire world.