CIA Confirms Severe Damage to Iran's Nuclear Program

CIA Director John Ratcliffe has confirmed that the recent U.S. strike on Iran caused significant damage to the country's nuclear program. Ratcliffe stated that credible intelligence, including from a trusted source, indicates that key Iranian nuclear facilities were destroyed and will take years to rebuild. This directly contradicts earlier media reports, based on supposedly leaked intelligence, suggesting the strikes only delayed Iran's nuclear ambitions by a few months.
Ratcliffe emphasized that the CIA's assessment is based on credible information and dismissed the leaked reports as unreliable, claiming they were sourced illegally and did not reflect the agency's findings. President Trump also criticized the media for spreading misinformation, calling out specific outlets for their coverage.
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard added that Iran would need to rebuild three critical facilities—Natanz, Fordow, and Esfahan—which would likely take years. Both Ratcliffe and Gabbard accused the media of selectively releasing portions of leaked intelligence to undermine President Trump's leadership and the success of the operation.
The U.S. government remains focused on gathering additional intelligence and will continue to update officials and the public as new information becomes available.

Published: 6/26/2025