The US President Donald Trump has denied claims by Iranian officials that the US strikes were downplaying the consequences, saying "destruction" is an accurate description of the result of the attack on Iranʼs nuclear facilities.
"Monumental Damage was done to all Nuclear sites in Iran, as shown by satellite images. Obliteration is an accurate term! The white structure shown is deeply imbedded into the rock, with even its roof well below ground level, and completely shielded from flame. The biggest damage took place far below ground level. Bullseye!!!" he wrote on his social network Truth Social.
Satellite image of the Fordow nuclear facility in Iran from June 14, 2025.
Maxar Technologies / Reuters
The chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dan Kaine, had previously said that the nuclear facilities at Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan were "severely damaged", but he stopped short of saying that Iranʼs nuclear capabilities had been "destroyed". Meanwhile, the US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said that the damage from the strike was still being assessed.
"All of our precision munitions hit where we wanted them to and had the desired effect," the minister emphasized.
The day before, on June 22, Pete Hegseth also said that the operation was not directed against the regime in Iran.
At the same time, Donald Trump made a post in which he asked: "If the current Iranian Regime is unable to MAKE IRAN GREAT AGAIN, why wouldn’t there be a Regime change??? MIGA!!!"
The consequences of strikes are typically assessed by intelligence analysts and reconnaissance teams using data from drones, satellites, radar, or ground reports.
The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Grossi believes that it is currently impossible to assess the damage caused to the nuclear facility in Fordow.
What preceded
On the night of June 22, the United States attacked three Iranian nuclear facilities in the cities of Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan. American B-2 stealth bombers dropped six GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator bombs on Iranʼs Fordow nuclear facility, two GBU-57 bombs on the Natanz nuclear facility, and a US Navy submarine launched a salvo of 30 Tomahawk missiles, targeting the Natanz facility and a third facility in Isfahan.
Trump claimed that all three sites had been “totally and irreversibly destroyed”. Iran then attacked Israel, launching at least 27 missiles in two salvos. More than 80 people were injured.
The American television channel NBC News wrote that the United States is preparing for a possible retaliatory strike by Iran in the next 48 hours.
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