According to three informed sources cited by CNN, preliminary U.S. intelligence assessments suggest that the recent U.S. military strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities did not destroy the core components of Tehran’s nuclear program. Instead, the operations likely delayed Iran’s progress by only a few months.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt rejected the report, calling it “completely false.”
Meanwhile, a report published by Bloomberg highlights the growing difficulty facing the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in monitoring Iran’s nuclear activities following the U.S. and Israeli attacks. The report emphasised that the bombings not only damaged physical infrastructure but also crippled surveillance systems and may have forced Iran to conceal enrichment sites.
Trump’s Operation Created a Tracking Challenge, Not a Decisive Blow
Bloomberg’s analysis, translated by Arabi21, points out that former President Donald Trump’s decision to strike three of Iran’s major nuclear facilities caused potential damage to Tehran’s declared capabilities. However, the attacks also created a new strategic problem: determining what remains operational and where Iran may now be continuing its nuclear development.
Despite Trump’s claim that the fortified sites were “completely destroyed” during the Saturday night operation, independent satellite analyses have not verified those assertions. Nuclear experts cited in the report believe the strikes have made tracking nuclear materials more complicated efforts to prevent Iran from producing a nuclear weapon.
There are now growing concerns that the escalation may prompt Iran to shift operations to underground or secret facilities, away from the IAEA’s oversight.
Satellite Images Reveal Limited Damage
Satellite images captured Sunday by a space technology firm revealed new craters and possible tunnel collapses at the Fordow nuclear site. The imagery also showed puncture marks atop the mountain sheltering the facility. However, a key support building believed to regulate ventilation for Iran’s underground enrichment halls remained undamaged. The IAEA confirmed that no radioactive leaks were recorded at the site.
Additional images from the Natanz nuclear site revealed a crater measuring approximately 5.5 meters in diameter, located above a section of the underground enrichment facility. According to Maxar Technologies, while the crater is clearly visible, the imagery does not conclusively prove that the strike penetrated the fortified installation — which lies 40 meters underground and is protected by 8 meters of reinforced concrete and steel.
Iran: Enriched Uranium Remains Intact
Ali Shamkhani, senior adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader, stated that Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium remains unharmed despite the U.S. strikes. A separate Iranian source told Reuters that most of Iran’s highly enriched uranium had already been moved from the Fordow site before the attack.
Reports of a More Fortified Nuclear Facility Emerge
The Israeli newspaper Maariv revealed new claims about the existence of a secret Iranian nuclear site known as the “Axe Mountain Facility.” According to the report, this site is considered deeper and more fortified than Fordow, making it a likely location for Iran to accelerate its nuclear weapons program if it chooses to do so.
Social media discussions have echoed these claims, arguing that Fordow may no longer be Iran’s most secure nuclear site. Instead, they point to Jabal al-Fas (Axe Mountain) — an underground facility reportedly built deep within a mountain just a few kilometres south of Natanz. Sources suggest the site includes four tunnel entrances, compared to Fordow’s two, significantly increasing its resistance to bunker-busting bombs.
This revelation, if confirmed, would mark a strategic shift in Iran’s nuclear infrastructure — reinforcing its deterrence posture and further complicating the West’s efforts to halt its nuclear advancement.
