Iran-Israel latest: Trump’s CIA chief says Iranian nuclear sites ‘severely damaged’

 

The Pentagon is gearing up for a high-stakes press conference to defend the U.S. airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities, after a leaked intelligence report suggested the damage was far less severe than President Trump claims. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and top military officials will present what Trump calls “irrefutable” evidence that the strikes crippled Iran’s nuclear ambitions — contradicting initial Pentagon assessments that the attacks only set the program back by a short period. The briefing is framed as a defense of the mission’s success and the pilots who executed it, with Trump vowing to silence critics who downplayed the operation’s impact.

The stakes couldn’t be higher. Trump has repeatedly insisted that the strikes “completely and totally obliterated” Iran’s nuclear capabilities, a claim backed by CIA Director John Ratcliffe, who cited new intelligence showing severe damage that could take years to repair. Yet, the Defense Intelligence Agency’s preliminary report — leaked earlier this week — painted a different picture, revealing that key underground centrifuges remained intact and Iran’s uranium stockpile may have been moved before the attack. The White House dismissed the DIA findings as “flat-out wrong,” accusing leakers of undermining the administration.

Trump’s comparison of the Iran strikes to the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki has further fueled controversy. At the NATO summit, he argued that the U.S. operation, like the historic bombings, “ended the war” — referring to the recent Israel-Iran conflict. Critics called the analogy reckless, given the civilian death toll in Japan, but Trump doubled down, framing the strikes as a historic military success. The administration’s narrative hinges on today’s briefing, where officials are expected to showcase satellite imagery, intercepted communications, and Israeli intelligence to prove Iran’s nuclear infrastructure was decimated.

Behind the scenes, the rift between U.S. intelligence agencies is deepening. While the CIA and Trump loyalists insist the damage is catastrophic, the DIA’s assessment — supported by satellite analysts — suggests above-ground structures were hit, but underground enrichment halls survived. Iran, meanwhile, claims it evacuated the sites beforehand and relocated enriched uranium, minimizing the blow. The conflicting accounts raise questions: Is the administration overstating the damage to justify the strikes, or is the DIA’s analysis prematurely pessimistic?

The political fallout is already unfolding. Democrats accuse Trump of manipulating intelligence, while Republicans rally behind the strikes as a decisive blow against a nuclear threat. The Pentagon’s briefing could either solidify Trump’s narrative or deepen skepticism, especially if Hegseth fails to address the DIA’s claims directly. With Iran threatening retaliation and the UN nuclear watchdog unable to verify the full extent of the damage, the world is watching to see if the U.S. can back up its bold assertions.

One thing is clear: Today’s press conference isn’t just about damage assessments — it’s a battle for credibility. If the administration’s evidence falls short, Trump risks appearing disconnected from his own intelligence agencies. But if Hegseth delivers a compelling case, it could reshape the narrative, turning the Iran strikes into a defining victory of Trump’s presidency. Either way, the truth may remain buried under the rubble — both literal and political.