US strikes on Iran over the weekend appeared to have set its nuclear ambitions back by just a matter of months, according to preliminary intelligence findings that were reported by The New York Times and CNN.
The three key Iranian enrichment facilities did sustain damage in the US bombing, but the buildings buried deep underground at the sites are believed to be intact. The reporting, which the White House press secretary said was “flat out wrong,” contradicted US President Donald Trump, who said the strikes had “completely obliterated” Iran’s nuclear program.
It’s also possible that Iran moved much of its uranium stockpile before the strikes, although that has not been confirmed. The head of the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog has urged Tehran to allow the agency to inspect the sites, but Iran is yet to agree, and has threatened to withdraw cooperation with the watchdog.