The intelligence agency claims that Iranian nuclear facilities have been destroyed and will take many years to restore.
Credible intelligence indicates that Iran's nuclear program has been seriously damaged by recent targeted strikes.
This was stated in a statement by CIA Director John Ratcliffe, published on Wednesday, June 25, on the official website of the intelligence agency.
“The CIA can confirm that a body of credible intelligence indicates that Iran's nuclear program has been severely damaged by recent targeted attacks. This includes new intelligence from a historically reliable and accurate source that several key Iranian nuclear facilities have been destroyed and will take years to rebuild,” the statement said.
At the same time, the CIA director added that his agency continues to collect additional information from reliable sources to “fully inform appropriate decision makers and oversight bodies.”
John Ratcliffe promised to provide updates to the American public whenever possible, “given the national importance of this issue and in an effort to ensure transparency.”
Earlier, CNN reported, citing a preliminary US intelligence assessment, that the US strikes on Iran had not destroyed key components of the country's nuclear program and had likely only set it back a few months. The assessment was based on a battle damage analysis conducted by US Central Command.
Two sources familiar with the assessment said Iran's enriched uranium stockpile had survived the U.S. strikes, with one source saying “the centrifuges are mostly intact.”
The media report angered US President Donald Trump, who called the attacks “one of the most successful military strikes in history.” He said “Iran's nuclear facilities have been completely destroyed.”
Recall that after the recent US airstrikes on three main Iranian nuclear facilities, more than 400 kg of potentially enriched uranium disappeared. In this regard, the IAEA insists on immediate inspections to clarify the circumstances.
