Iran’s nuclear programme not destroyed, but set back ‘several years,’ says Israeli intel official

Assessing the extent of damage, Israeli intelligence has said the US and Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities have set back the nuclear programme by ‘several years,’ but have not destroyed or dismantled it completely. These are contrary to the claims made by US President Donald Trump after the June 22 strikes on Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan nuclear sites. The senior Israeli official confirmed this to news outlet The Times of Israel.

According to the official, the assessment is constantly being monitored and updated and in the coming weeks, more inputs will ascertain the extent of damage and the status of Iran’s nuclear program in question.

The Israeli official says the strikes have done damage, but not enough to call it destroyed. These military strikes on the nuclear facilities will serve as a deterrent against the Islamic Republic that is trying to enrich uranium.

“We have set Iran’s nuclear project back by years, and the same goes for its missile program," IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir

While Trump has been saying, "Our objective was the destruction of Iran’s nuclear enrichment capacity, a stop to the nuclear threat posed by the world’s number one state sponsor of terror. Iran’s key nuclear facilities have been completed and totally obliterated. Iran, the bully of the Middle East, must now make peace.”

En route Netherlands on Wednesday (June 25), while speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump said, “Iranians are very good traders and business people, they got a lot of oil, they should be fine and be able to rebuild and do a good job. They are never going to have nuclear but other than that they should do a good job."