Since Israel's unprecedented strikes on Iranian targets began earlier this month, the goals of the operation have been crystal clear: eliminating nuclear threats.
Has Iran's Nuclear Program Failed?
As one Israeli military official explained to CNN, the goal of the operation was to permanently eliminate the Islamic Republic's nuclear and missile threats.
But given the ceasefire that has been concluded, it is far from clear that the ambitious goal has been achieved, foreign journalists believe.
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Western military sources say it is too early to assess the full extent of the damage caused by the US and Israeli strikes, although satellite images analysed by CNN show significant damage to key nuclear sites in Isfahan, Natanz and Fordow.
Iran's controversial uranium enrichment program, which uses sensitive centrifuges often installed deep underground in hardened bunkers, is likely to be disabled or damaged, if not completely destroyed.
US President Donald Trump insists that Iran will never be able to resume its nuclear program.
But if there is political will, Iran may have the capacity and means to revive its program. Tehran's technological know-how may be intact, despite Israel's persecution of several Iranian nuclear scientists.
At the same time, representatives of the IAEA, the UN nuclear watchdog, confirm that they are still unsure about the whereabouts of the nuclear material Iran has already produced.
We are talking about 880 pounds (almost 400 kg) of Uranium-235 enriched to 60%, which is close to the level suitable for use in weapons.
What Iran Said About Attack on Nuclear Facilities
Iranian state media reported that the nuclear facilities were evacuated ahead of the US strikes, raising concerns that some or all of the enriched nuclear material is being stored, possibly at an unknown and secret facility.
But even if Iran could safely hide its enriched uranium, turning it into weapons-grade material would not be a quick process.
The US and Israeli bombings have seriously damaged Iran's ability to build nuclear weapons, said former UN inspector David Albright, who is now president of the Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS) think tank.
He estimated that it would take Iran at least a year or two to develop a nuclear weapon.
At the same time, sources for The Associated Press report that a preliminary US intelligence report indicates that the US strikes delayed Iran's nuclear program by only a few months.
The report found that while Saturday's strikes on nuclear facilities in Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan caused significant damage, they were not completely destroyed, according to two people familiar with the preliminary assessment.
The White House has strongly rejected that assessment, calling it completely wrong.
Will Iran Change Its Nuclear Strategy?
One key question remains whether Iran, which has insisted that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes only, will now change its calculations and strategy.
Iranian officials are already publicly hinting at withdrawing from a key nuclear non-proliferation treaty.
If that happens, it will almost certainly be interpreted as confirmation that Iran intends to build a bomb. But there is no guarantee that this will be the case.
After the US strikes on Iran, one Western European diplomat told CNN that a real window of opportunity had been closed as a result of American actions.
Satellite images show damage to three Iranian nuclear sites
American B-2 bombers dropped 14 massive explosives (weighing about 13.6 thousand kg) of massive munitions known as GBU-57 bombs on two key uranium enrichment sites – Fordow and Natanz, writes The Bloomberg.
They launched missile strikes at the Isfahan Nuclear Technology Center, bypassing the site’s three research reactors. Iran’s reported retaliatory attack on a U.S. military base in Qatar the following day was widely seen as a de-escalation, and the missiles were intercepted. Iran and Israel then agreed to a ceasefire.
Although US President Donald Trump said that the three affected Iranian facilities had been completely destroyed, it would take time to fully assess the extent of the damage, the publication noted.
Satellite images from Maxar Technologies and Planet Labs PBC taken June 22 offer some early clues, including new craters, possible collapsed tunnel entrances, and openings on the top of the ridge.
But they do not provide convincing evidence that the attack breached the most secure underground structures.
Satellite image of the Natanz facility. Photo: Maxar Technologies
Which Iranian nuclear facilities were attacked?
Natanz is one of Iran's two known advanced uranium enrichment facilities, with workshops buried 40 m (131 ft) underground and protected by an 8 m (26 ft) thick concrete and steel shell.
The images show a new crater about 5.5 meters in diameter directly above part of the underground facility, according to Maxar Technologies.
Iran's most secure nuclear facility is Fordow, another advanced uranium enrichment facility. It is built at least 100m into a mountainside. Six large craters are visible throughout the site. The tunnel entrances are likely blocked by debris, a sign that they may have collapsed.
Satellite images show that a large auxiliary building that may be used to control ventilation of the underground hall was not damaged. The International Atomic Energy Agency said there was no release of radiation from the site.
Satellite image of the Fordow facility. Photo: Maxar Technologies
The third site hit by the US was the Isfahan Nuclear Technology and Research Center, a key center for critical chemical processes that convert uranium ore into a feedstock that can be enriched.
Although many large industrial buildings and a landscaped courtyard were damaged, the neutron source reactors at the site show no signs of damage in satellite images.
Senior officials in Vienna, who asked Bloomberg not to be named, suggested they were deliberately left untouched to avoid radioactive decay.
The presence of dark craters at each enrichment site suggests that the bunker-busting bombs could have penetrated as deep as 200 feet before detonating, according to the Air Force.
These weapons can be stacked on top of each other, meaning that each successive explosion can penetrate deeper. It may be weeks before the full impact of the American bombs is known.
Satellite image of the facility in Isfahan. Photo: Maxar Technologies
As the damage assessment process begins, another question remains the location of Iran's stockpile of near-bomb-grade uranium.
This stockpile of uranium could fit into just 16 containers small enough to be carried on the back. That's enough to potentially manufacture 10 nuclear warheads in a secret location.
As The Bloomberg noted, the last time IAEA inspectors saw him was in Isfahan more than a week ago. But he may have been secretly removed from the scene.
