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Exclusive: Early US intel assessment suggests strikes on Iran did not destroy nuclear sites, sources say
CNN ^ | Jume 24, 2025 | Natasha Bertrand, Katie Bo Lillis and Zachary Cohen

Posted on 06/24/2025 12:15:13 PM PDT by McGruff

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 four 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.

The analysis of the damage to the sites and the impact of the strikes on Iran’s nuclear ambitions is ongoing, and could change as more intelligence becomes available. But the early findings are at odds with President Donald Trump’s repeated claims that the strikes “completely and totally obliterated” Iran’s nuclear enrichment facilities. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth also said on Sunday that Iran’s nuclear ambitions “have been obliterated.”

(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Iran; Israel; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: cnn; iran; itistolaugh; mullahloversonfr; multiplenicks; randpaulsucks; sourcessay
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1 posted on 06/24/2025 12:15:13 PM PDT by McGruff
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To: McGruff

first the liberals said Iran didnt have anything, now they are saying Trump didn’t destroy it!

LMAO

make up your minds liberals!


2 posted on 06/24/2025 12:16:46 PM PDT by TexasFreeper2009
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To: TexasFreeper2009

Well they didn’t destroy it because we never had it. Go look and see. It’s not there because they destroyed it so you can’t.


3 posted on 06/24/2025 12:18:08 PM PDT by AndyJackson
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To: TexasFreeper2009
first the liberals said Iran didnt have anything, now they are saying Trump didn’t destroy it!

Then they said we destroyed it too much, and contaminated Iran.

4 posted on 06/24/2025 12:19:17 PM PDT by Steely Tom ([Voter Fraud] == [Civil War])
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To: McGruff

“Sources say.”

We learned from Russiagate that all anonomysly source stories are lies.


5 posted on 06/24/2025 12:19:20 PM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum (Democrats are the Party of anger, hate and violence.)
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To: McGruff

These sources were unaware this operation was planned and now they claim to know details of the post operation assessment. Their sources are anonymous, and I suspect they work at CNN. FAKE NEWS.


6 posted on 06/24/2025 12:19:42 PM PDT by ransomnote (IN GOD WE TRUST)
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To: TexasFreeper2009

The more authors in the byline, the more likely it’s BS


7 posted on 06/24/2025 12:21:37 PM PDT by nikos1121
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To: McGruff

Any setback to Iran’s ability to build nuclear weapons is a win.


8 posted on 06/24/2025 12:22:15 PM PDT by lastchance (Cognovit Dominus qui sunt eius.)
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To: McGruff

Unsurprising. A well-fortified underground facility should require more than a single air strike. Trump’s skittishness may be driven by political considerations, but the fact is this is a hard target that should require multiple days or weeks of air strikes. Cheyenne was built to withstand a nuclear strike a mile away.


9 posted on 06/24/2025 12:22:20 PM PDT by Zhang Fei (My dad had a Delta 88. That was a car. It was like driving your living room)
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To: McGruff

This is ludicrous, anything to go after Trump, no shame. There is zero way these biased clowns know what is going on under that pile of dirt. There has never been an attack with these size GBU’s let along in the quantity used on such a big underground facility. So where is there comparative data for such an analysis?


10 posted on 06/24/2025 12:22:29 PM PDT by DAC21
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To: McGruff

One does what one can.

Seems the only other option would have been a few airmobile brigades for a week or two with stupendous air cover and really talented sappers.

Not really what anyone was up for.


11 posted on 06/24/2025 12:24:52 PM PDT by Uncle Miltie (Whenever a muslim murders a Christian, it’s the Jews’ fault! - Nitzy, 6/22/25)
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To: McGruff

Sources:

Like Jennifer Griifin and her Woke, activist husband

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2025/06/lawyer-who-works-harris-biden-called-trump-unfit/


12 posted on 06/24/2025 12:26:11 PM PDT by OakOak (Misinformation Campaign on your TV)
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To: McGruff
I CALL "BULL$HIT" on CNN and the LIBERAL MEDIA who want to MAKE TROUBLE for Trump at every turn.

If Trump WOULDN'T have taken out the facility then I'm almost SURE that he would have tried again.. and sooner rather than later.

13 posted on 06/24/2025 12:26:46 PM PDT by VideoDoctor
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To: All
There was an article on FR from the NY Post just 8 posts below this one saying there was more damage at the bomb sites than originally thought.

CNN just looking for a way to downplay America's success.
14 posted on 06/24/2025 12:27:05 PM PDT by Dan in Wichita
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To: E. Pluribus Unum

Same sources that told CNN the Trump administration never reached out to rat congressional leaders to forewarn them of the strike.


15 posted on 06/24/2025 12:27:16 PM PDT by God luvs America
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To: McGruff

I’ll wait for the Mossad assessment. Thanks.


16 posted on 06/24/2025 12:28:27 PM PDT by ALPAPilot
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To: McGruff

I watched CNN last night to get some “live” update on the cease fire.

They were on a roll about the cease fire was a sham, how the bombing may have only been superficial and so on.

In other words, non stop creating doubt and disbelief in anything Donald said or has done relative to Iran/Israel.


17 posted on 06/24/2025 12:29:39 PM PDT by llevrok (Keep buggering on!)
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To: McGruff

Interesting. I just read another story that said they did more damage than they thought at first.

Who to believe...🤣


18 posted on 06/24/2025 12:29:40 PM PDT by cuban leaf (2024 is going to be one for the history books, like 1939. And 2025 will be more so, like 1940-1945.)
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To: nikos1121

Good point.

I think it goes:

3(CNN) = - truth

“The more authors in the byline, the more likely it’s BS“


19 posted on 06/24/2025 12:32:50 PM PDT by reasonisfaith (What are the personal implications if the Resurrection of Christ is a true event in history?)
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To: McGruff

I have voted for President Trump 6 times, and would do so again if he could run again - and proudly so. But I think that he made a mistake here, the same kind of mistake that other Presidents have made. Put simply, he wanted a one-and-done operation for political reasons, and almost certainly (in my opinion) blew off military advice , which on the normal course of things would have had an immediate damage assessment, with follow-on bombers ready to strike the targets a 2nd or even 3rd time if needed.

Now I do get it, he’s not a military commander, and there are many other considerations involved in this particular operation besides just the military necessities, and he is the guy who is juggling all of those considerations, but I believe that it would have been better to do things according to more standard military protocol, and then claim success afterwards. If, after all of what has transpired in the last several days concerning US intervention, the targets were not actually destroyed, then this will look like a failure. That is most definitely a risk when politicians micromanage military operations.

That all said, I am so glad that he did what he did, because Iran has made it abundantly clear for the last 46 years that it is our enemy, and they were rushing to build an arsenal of both atomic weapons and intercontinental ballistic missiles. We would have been extremely foolish to sit by and not hasten the destruction, even the partial destruction, of Iran’s nuclear infrastructure. This is true, in my opinion, regardless of whether any other country was involved, as Israel so obviously was and is.


20 posted on 06/24/2025 12:33:04 PM PDT by Ancesthntr ("The right to buy weapons is the right to be free." The Weapons Shops of Isher)
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