Fury in White House after leaked docs reveal truth about Trump's 'obliteration' claims
Intelligence suggests the targets in Iran weren't quite as 'obliterated' as Trump initially claimed
A leaked intelligence report on the US bombing of Iran has cast doubt on Trump's claims that he 'obliterated' Iran's nuclear facilities.
A tentative ceasefire is in effect between Israel and Iran, at least at time of writing, after a weekend in which the US joined Israel in taking direct action against Iran.
The United States struck three targets in Iran; Natanz and Isfahan with missiles from submarines, and Fordo with a bombing raid using B-2 Spirit stealth bombers.
Trump said that the US targets in Iran had been 'completely and fully obliterated', but CNN reported that despite what the US president said, the strikes had not destroyed the core components of Iran's nuclear development efforts.
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America's Defense Intelligence Agency, part of the Pentagon, says that early assessments of the damage done by the bombing has only put Iran's plans back by a few months.
According to CNN, this verdict comes from a battle damage assessment conducted by US Central Command, though they point out that analysis of the situation is ongoing and their assessments of the damage done could be updated in time.
The White House sternly rejected the findings of the intelligence report, saying that the idea they didn't completely destroy the sites they targeted was 'flat-out wrong'.
In a statement, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said: "The leaking of this alleged assessment is a clear attempt to demean President Trump, and discredit the brave fighter pilots who conducted a perfectly executed mission to obliterate Iran’s nuclear programme.
"Everyone knows what happens when you drop 14 30,000 pound bombs perfectly on their targets: total obliteration."
Donald Trump said yesterday (24 June): "I think it’s been completely demolished. Those pilots hit their targets. Those targets were obliterated, and the pilots should be given credit."
Whether or not the sites have been as thoroughly destroyed as Donald Trump claims they were, the New York Times reported that Iran had moved material away from them in the days leading up to the US bombing.
They warned that there was 'growing evidence' the Iranians moved around 400kg of uranium enriched to 60 percent purity.
Should the uranium be enriched to 90 percent purity, it would be considered ready for the payload of a nuclear weapon.
On Sunday (22 June) General Dan Caine, chairman of the joint chiefs of staff, said that 'all three sites sustained extremely severe damage and destruction,' but it would take time to measure the full extent of the damage.
As with the ceasefire that's in place, we'll have to wait and see how it turns out.
Topics: Donald Trump, US News, World News, Iran
Joe Harker