U.S. officials confirm massive damage to Iran’s nuclear sites

Iran’s nuclear program suffered severe damage following precision strikes launched by the United States over the weekend, an assessment acknowledged by the US, Israel, and Iran itself.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ismail Baghaei told Al Jazeera that “our nuclear installations have been badly damaged, that’s for sure,” referring to key sites targeted in Saturday’s attack.

Israel’s military echoed that conclusion. Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir, chief of staff of the Israel Defense Forces, said Iran’s program was “significantly damaged,” while Israel’s Atomic Energy Commission called the US-led operation “devastating.” The commission noted that the strikes, particularly on the Fordow facility, destroyed critical infrastructure and rendered the enrichment site inoperable.

“We assess that the American strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities, combined with Israeli strikes on other elements of Iran’s military nuclear program, have set back Iran’s ability to develop nuclear weapons by many years,” it said.

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine said US assessments showed that Iran’s Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan nuclear sites sustained “extremely severe damage and destruction.”

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth added that the strikes, which included bunker-busting bombs at Fordow, resulted in “devastation underneath” the mountain site.

The large-scale mission involved more than 125 US aircraft, including B-2 stealth bombers, refueling tankers, fighter jets, and a guided missile submarine, according to Caine.

The coordinated assessment comes despite earlier reports citing a leaked, low-confidence intelligence assessment suggesting the damage may have been less extensive. The Defense Intelligence Agency clarified that the initial report was based on preliminary data and would be refined as further intelligence is collected.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio dismissed doubts over the strike’s effectiveness. He was reported by Fox News saying that Iran’s nuclear program “today looks nothing like it did just a week ago.” He said, “This was complete and total obliteration. They are way behind today compared to where they were just seven days ago because of what President Trump did.”

International Atomic Energy Agency chief Rafael Mariano Grossi also acknowledged the scale of destruction, saying that significant damage likely occurred at the targeted facilities, including hits on uranium conversion buildings and tunnel entrances at Isfahan, as well as the Fuel Enrichment Plant at Natanz.