U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is set to hold a news conference on Thursday to deliver a fresh assessment of the recent American strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities. The briefing comes amid a fierce debate in Washington over how much damage the attacks inflicted on Tehran’s nuclear program.
Over the weekend, U.S. forces bombed three major Iranian atomic sites in coordination with Israeli airstrikes targeting nuclear and military installations. The strikes followed weeks of escalating hostilities between Iran and Israel, marked by cross-border attacks that began on June 13.
While Israel claimed the attacks thwarted an “imminent nuclear threat,” U.S. intelligence assessments have offered conflicting views. A classified report, first cited by CNN, suggested that the strikes failed to destroy critical components of Iran’s nuclear infrastructure and may have set the program back by only a few months.
A key concern is whether Iran managed to relocate up to 400 kilograms of enriched uranium in anticipation of the strikes. U.S. officials, however, dismissed that claim. “The United States had no indication that enriched uranium was moved prior to the strikes,” said White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt in an interview with Fox News. “What’s on the ground right now is buried under miles and miles of rubble.”
Former President Donald Trump, defending the military operation, insisted the attack “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear sites, including the heavily fortified Fordo facility. He announced that Hegseth, whom he referred to as the “war” secretary, would hold the Thursday morning briefing to “fight for the dignity of our great American pilots.”
CIA Director John Ratcliffe supported Trump’s position, stating on Wednesday that “several key Iranian nuclear facilities were destroyed and would have to be rebuilt over the course of years.”
Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that the operation had “thwarted Iran’s nuclear project” and vowed to continue strikes if Tehran attempts to rebuild.
Iranian officials have acknowledged substantial damage to their nuclear infrastructure. “Nuclear installations have been badly damaged, that’s for sure,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei told Al Jazeera.
Despite the military confrontation derailing nuclear talks between Tehran and Washington, Trump announced plans for renewed discussions next week. His special envoy, Steve Witkoff, expressed optimism about a potential peace deal. “We may sign an agreement. I don’t know,” Trump told reporters, noting that both Iran and Israel were “tired, exhausted.”
Iran has consistently denied pursuing nuclear weapons, maintaining its right to peaceful atomic energy and indicating a willingness to return to the negotiating table.
The two-week-long conflict has been the most intense between Israel and Iran in decades. Iran’s Health Ministry reported at least 627 civilian deaths from Israeli strikes, while Iranian attacks on Israel reportedly killed 28 people.
In a sign of shifting priorities, Iran has reopened its eastern airspace, though flights to and from Tehran remain suspended. In Israel, citizens expressed relief over the pause in fighting. “Finally, we can sleep peacefully,” said Tel Aviv resident Yossi Bin. “We feel better, less worried… and I hope it stays that way.”
The conflict also claimed high-ranking Iranian officials, including Revolutionary Guard commander Hossein Salami. Originally planned to be buried in his hometown on Thursday, Salami will now receive a state funeral in Tehran on Saturday alongside other top commanders and nuclear scientists killed in the strikes.
