New Delhi:
CIA Director John Ratcliffe claimed on Wednesday that new intelligence indicates Iran’s nuclear infrastructure suffered severe and long-term damage following recent US airstrikes, contradicting reports suggesting the impact had been limited. Mr Ratcliffe said the agency had obtained credible intelligence, confirming that “several key Iranian nuclear facilities were destroyed and would have to be rebuilt over the course of years.”
“CIA can confirm that a body of credible intelligence indicates Iran’s Nuclear Program has been severely damaged by the recent, targeted strikes. This includes new intelligence from an historically reliable and accurate source/method that several key Iranian nuclear facilities were destroyed and would have to be rebuilt over the course of years,” he said.
“CIA continues to collect additional reliably sourced information to keep appropriate decision-makers and oversight bodies fully informed. When possible, we will also provide updates and information to the American public, given the national importance of this matter and in every attempt to provide transparency,” Mr Ratcliffe added.
US President Donald Trump, speaking at the NATO summit in the Netherlands, dismissed earlier reports by American intelligence services that downplayed the extent of damage inflicted on Iran’s nuclear program. The president insisted the Pentagon’s own classified assessments lacked key information and defended his own conclusion that the strikes were devastating.
“This was a devastating attack, and it knocked them for a loop,” Trump told reporters, reinforcing his claim that Iranian facilities had been “completely and fully obliterated.”
Trump announced that US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth would host a press conference on Thursday to provide “irrefutable proof” of the operation’s effectiveness. He suggested the move was meant to support American military personnel, particularly the bomber crews involved in the mission, who he said were angered by “Fake News” coverage of the strikes’ alleged limited impact.
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