US Secretary of State Confirms Effectiveness of Strikes on Iranian Nuclear Facilities Despite Conflicting Reports
US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, confirmed that the US strikes targeting Iranian nuclear sites last Saturday caused "significant and substantial" damage to the Iranian nuclear program, indicating that Tehran has become "further away from nuclear weapons than ever before". This came in an interview with "Politico" published today, Wednesday, despite recent intelligence assessments casting doubt on the impact of those strikes.
Rubio explained that the strikes on the Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan facilities were a bold decision by US President Donald Trump, and the US administration is still assessing the actual extent of the damage. He also criticized the intelligence assessment prepared by the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), the main intelligence arm of the Pentagon, and described the reports published by American media on this matter as "false and not reflecting the full picture of reality".
Rubio said: "Usually, entities that publish similar news have certain political agendas", referring to media leaks that indicated the US strikes did not completely destroy the Iranian nuclear facilities but only delayed the nuclear program by a few months.
On the other hand, White House spokesperson Caroline Levitt denied the validity of the circulating assessments, stating in a press release that "this alleged assessment is completely inaccurate", and questioned how a classified document was leaked to the media.
The controversy continues amid conflicting reports on the success of the US strikes in disrupting the Iranian nuclear program, while Washington continues to emphasize the effectiveness of its military operations.
