CIA Director John Ratcliffe announced that reliable intelligence confirms Iran’s nuclear program has sustained severe damage following recent coordinated attacks.
In an official statement, Ratcliffe affirmed that the Central Intelligence Agency continues to collect data from “credible sources” to provide a comprehensive update to relevant decision-makers and oversight bodies.
He stressed that, due to the issue’s national importance and in line with transparency, future developments will be shared with the American public.
“The CIA confirms that a body of reliable intelligence suggests Iran’s nuclear infrastructure was significantly impacted by the recent targeted strikes,” Ratcliffe said.
He added that this conclusion is based on intelligence gathered through methods that “have proven their accuracy and reliability in the past.”
According to Ratcliffe, multiple critical nuclear facilities in Iran were destroyed, and it may take years for Iran to rebuild them.
Contradictions With Earlier Reports
The CIA’s statement comes in response to earlier U.S. media reports that questioned the scale of damage, suggesting the strikes had only limited impact and failed to dismantle Iran’s nuclear capability.
However, the CIA now publicly contradicts these reports, asserting that the damage is both real and long-term.
Context: A 12-Day Escalation
The intelligence confirmation follows a 12-day military escalation that began on 13 June, when Israel launched a U.S.-backed assault on Iranian territory, targeting military, nuclear, and civilian infrastructure, including the assassination of military commanders and nuclear scientists.
In retaliation, Iran struck Israeli military and intelligence sites with ballistic missiles and drones, inflicting notable losses.
On 22 June, the United States escalated further by directly bombing Iranian nuclear sites, prompting Iran to respond by launching missiles at the U.S. Al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar.
Shortly after, on 24 June, Washington announced a ceasefire between Tel Aviv and Tehran.
Ongoing Uncertainty
Despite the CIA’s claims, the true extent of the damage remains contested. Tehran has acknowledged “serious damage” but insists the Israeli-American aggression failed to achieve its strategic objectives, offering no further details.
Meanwhile, both Washington and Tel Aviv maintain that the Iranian nuclear program has been severely crippled and set back by several years.
