&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "'Much better off starting anew': Trump tells Iran to rebuild nuclear sites elsewhere so they can be ‘obliterated’ again")
US President Donald Trump on Saturday (July 19) said that Iran would be “better off” relocating its nuclear programme, after claiming the US obliterated three major sites in strikes last month. In a post on Truth Social, he wrote, “It would take years to bring them back into service and, if Iran wanted to do so, they would be much better off starting anew, in three different locations, prior to those sites being obliterated, should they decide to do so. Thank you for your attention to this matter.”
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What did US intelligence say about the strikes?
A new US intelligence assessment, reported by NBC News, suggests that while one site was heavily damaged, two others may not have been hit as hard. Officials say the Fordow facility was the most seriously affected, with two current sources claiming the strike may have set Iran’s enrichment capabilities there back by as much as two years. However, the two other sites targeted, Isfahan and Natanz, could resume enrichment within months, depending on Tehran’s intentions.
What is the official US position?
White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said in a statement, “As the President has said and experts have verified, Operation Midnight Hammer totally obliterated Iran’s nuclear capabilities.” Chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell told NBC, “President Trump was clear and the American people understand: Iran’s nuclear facilities in Fordow, Isfahan, and Natanz were completely and totally obliterated. There is no doubt about that.”
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Is Iran saying the same thing?
Iran has not confirmed the scale of damage across all three facilities, but Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi admitted that Fordow suffered “severe damage” as a result of the US attack. Tehran insists its nuclear programme is for civilian use only, rejecting claims that it is pursuing nuclear weapons.
What was Operation Midnight Hammer?
The US strikes last month were part of Operation Midnight Hammer, aimed at disabling Iran’s suspected nuclear weapons infrastructure. The Trump administration claimed the attacks were necessary to prevent further nuclear advancement, while Iran called them unprovoked and illegal.
An earlier report from the Defence Intelligence Agency had suggested the strikes might only delay Iran’s nuclear work by several months. However, Trump officials dismissed that as outdated and “low confidence,” saying fresh intelligence showed the damage was far greater.
