Early US intel assessment suggests strikes on Iran did not destroy nuclear sites, sources say

[Allan]

I guess the program infrastructure is very well protected.

Starting from the position that Iran can never possess a nuclear weapon, and taking into consideration that America's biggest bombs can't completely destroy their ability to produce one, what is the next step?

CNN - The US military strikes on three of Iran’s nuclear facilities last weekend did not destroy the core components of the country’s nuclear program and likely only set it back by months, according to an early US intelligence assessment that was described by three people briefed on it.

The assessment, which has not been previously reported, was produced by the Defense Intelligence Agency, the Pentagon’s intelligence arm. It is based on a battle damage assessment conducted by US Central Command in the aftermath of the US strikes, one of the sources said.

https://www.cnn.com/2025/06/24/politics/intel-assessment-us-strikes-iran-nuclear-sites

 

[ncguy]

If that's even remotely close to being true we've just given Iran incredible motivation to actually build a bomb and they will be able to accomplish it much faster than we might have expected

 

[Apocalypse]

Far too early to tell one way or another.

 

[Felis Leo]

If that's even remotely close to being true we've just given Iran incredible motivation to actually build a bomb and they will be able to accomplish it much faster than we might have expected

Yeaaaaahhhh...pretty much.

 

[Allan]

Far too early to tell one way or another.

Assume that the Defense Intelligence Agency knows more about this than you.

 

[Apocalypse]

Assume that the Defense Intelligence Agency knows more about this than you.

They know it's far too early to tell as well.
You seem to be eager to jump into conclusions, you shouldn't let your partisanship influence you that much.

 

[Allan]

They know it's far too early to tell as well.

They provided an assessment.

You seem to be eager to jump into conclusions, you shouldn't let your partisanship influence you that much.

I posted their conclusions, not mine.

 

[Hari Seldon]

I guess the program infrastructure is very well protected.

Starting from the position that Iran can never possess a nuclear weapon, and taking into consideration that America's biggest bombs can't completely destroy their ability to produce one, what is the next step?

https://www.cnn.com/2025/06/24/politics/intel-assessment-us-strikes-iran-nuclear-sites

Oops.

 

[Allan]

So bombs won't do the job. Is a new non proliferation agreement the next step? And what incentive does Iran have to sign up?

 

[Yakshi]

I guess the program infrastructure is very well protected.

Starting from the position that Iran can never possess a nuclear weapon, and taking into consideration that America's biggest bombs can't completely destroy their ability to produce one, what is the next step?

https://www.cnn.com/2025/06/24/politics/intel-assessment-us-strikes-iran-nuclear-sites

The next step is that Iran is more motivated than ever before to develop a nuclear weapon.

I kid, I kid, he said, laughing nervously.

 

[Apocalypse]

They provided an assessment.



I posted their assessment.

A lot of 'early assessments' are going to be provided to officials in the coming days. Wonder how many of those will be published on CNN.

 

[Yakshi]

If that's even remotely close to being true we've just given Iran incredible motivation to actually build a bomb and they will be able to accomplish it much faster than we might have expected

D'oh. I should've read the first reply before posting.

If one observes the putin-Trump Dumb and Dumber strategy of doing everything in their power to force the conclusion they dread most, then an Iran with nukes sounds about right.

 

[Ikari]

We gotta bomb it again?

 

[Allan]

We gotta bomb it again?

I suspect that the problem is the important bits are buried too deep.

 

[ncguy]

D'oh. I should've read the first reply before posting.

You owe me a dollar for it stealing the content of my post without permission

 

[ALiberalModerate]

This is very unfortunate if it is true. Had we set back Iran's nuclear program years, this would have been a big win for the United States (and the free world in general). If we didn't then, well, we are seeing why previous presidents didn't go this route. Trump has this habit (personality disorder) thinking that everyone before him has been stupid, and that there are simple solutions to big problems that only he can take on.

 

[Fearandloathing]

We gotta bomb it again?

That's the American way.

If at first you don't succeed, do it exactly the same again and again until it does.....or you can convince enough people you did.

 

[ncguy]

This is very unfortunate if it is true. Had we set back Iran's nuclear program years, this would have been a big win for the United States (and the free world in general). If we didn't then, well, we are seeing why previous presidents didn't go this route. Trump has this habit (personality disorder) thinking that everyone before him has been stupid, and that there are simple solutions to big problems that only he can take on.

No one is as smart and brave as trump. He is a legend in his own mind

 

[Allan]

A lot of 'early assessments' are going to be provided to officials in the coming days. Wonder how many of those will be published on CNN.

Trump said immediately after the bombing that their weapons program was "obliterated".

Maybe that was reckless as satellite photos we're even available yet.

 

[Yakshi]

They provided an assessment.



I posted their conclusions, not mine.

It sounds like @Apocalypse was eager to jump to conclusions about you jumping to conclusions, perhaps letting his partisanship influence him that much.

 

[Cordelier]

I suspect that the problem is the important bits are buried too deep.

... or somewhere else.

I can't say that I've ever bombed a nuclear facility before, but I've got to figure that one of the bellweathers of success in doing so is a detectable release of radioactive material.

 

[Yakshi]

We gotta bomb it again?

Meanwhile, Ukraine just shrugs in utter bafflement and shakes its head.

 

[Fearandloathing]

No one is as smart and brave as trump. He is a legend in his own mind

...and he has big hands.

 

[reinaert]

How Trumpian and prematurely ej...

 

[TangoNoCash]

And we’re back to square one. Sad but not entirely surprising. This is what happens when you’re in such a hurry to score points on social media that you don’t even take the time to assess the situation properly first.