Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is rejecting recent claims from CNN that U.S. airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities failed to significantly hinder Tehran’s ability to develop nuclear weapons.
BREAKING: CNN discloses “top secret” information on live TV, claiming the strikes on Iran left their nuclear sites “largely intact.”
The claim has since been refuted by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
“Based on everything we have seen, and I’ve seen it all, our bombing campaign… pic.twitter.com/rqTcDzT8Eh
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) June 24, 2025
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In a statement Tuesday, Hegseth dismissed the report and said it lacked necessary context regarding the extent of the damage inflicted.
The CNN report, co-authored by Natasha Bertrand, cites unnamed sources within the U.S. intelligence community who claim that “early U.S. intelligence assessments” suggest the strikes did not completely disable Iran’s nuclear capabilities.
Same. Reporter. https://t.co/soWmFGLWa4 pic.twitter.com/uXhLtMZfJJ
— Joe Concha (@JoeConchaTV) June 24, 2025
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According to the article, initial findings allegedly show that Iran’s uranium enrichment operations and centrifuge systems remain largely intact.
One unnamed source familiar with the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) reportedly said, “The US set them back maybe a few months, tops.”
The article also referenced a classified battle damage assessment from U.S. Central Command and stated that damage at key sites like Natanz, Isfahan, and the Fordow uranium enrichment facility was mostly limited to aboveground areas.
According to CNN’s anonymous sources, the underground structure at Fordow sustained only minor disruption, while the site’s electrical infrastructure and facilities used for uranium metal conversion suffered heavy damage.
Erin Burnett five days ago: Iran is years away from a nuclear weapon. Trump is risking starting a world war for no reason.
Erin Burnett today: Iran’s nuclear program has only been set back a few months. This is a big deal.
This is CNN. pic.twitter.com/qHSRB31LyL
— MAZE (@mazemoore) June 24, 2025
Defense Secretary Hegseth responded forcefully to the report, arguing that the airstrikes — carried out by U.S. forces with support from Israel — significantly degraded Iran’s nuclear program.
“Based on everything we have seen — and I’ve seen it all — our bombing campaign obliterated Iran’s ability to create nuclear weapons,” Hegseth stated.
“Our massive bombs hit exactly the right spot at each target and worked perfectly.”
US Defense Minister Pete Hegseth also condemned the report, describing it as completely false.
He said:
-”Based on everything we have seen — and I’ve seen it all — our bombing campaign obliterated Iran’s ability to create nuclear weapons.” pic.twitter.com/g6GznEfsY7— Sprinter Observer (@SprinterObserve) June 24, 2025
He further said that the criticism is politically motivated.
“The impact of those bombs is buried under a mountain of rubble in Iran; so anyone who says the bombs were not devastating is just trying to undermine the President and the successful mission,” Hegseth said.
— Pete Hegseth (@PeteHegseth) June 24, 2025
The strikes came in coordination with Israeli operations that targeted Natanz and Isfahan in the days prior.
The U.S. followed with a precision strike on the underground Fordow facility using B-2 stealth bombers equipped with 30,000-pound bunker buster munitions.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt also addressed the matter during a press briefing, confirming that an intelligence assessment exists but strongly pushed back on CNN’s reporting.
“This alleged assessment is flat-out wrong and was classified as ‘top secret’ but was still leaked to CNN by an anonymous, low-level loser in the intelligence community,” Leavitt said.
“The leaking of this alleged assessment is a clear attempt to demean President Trump, and discredit the brave fighter pilots who conducted a perfectly executed mission to obliterate Iran’s nuclear program.”
Leavitt added, “Everyone knows what happens when you drop fourteen 30,000-pound bombs perfectly on their targets: total obliteration.”
This CNN story was written by the same “reporter” who wrote the very first FAKE NEWS story claiming the Hunter Biden laptop was disinformation.
How did that work out for you, @NatashaBertrand? pic.twitter.com/x2CVhlhB1b
— Karoline Leavitt (@PressSec) June 24, 2025
According to reports, Israel had already struck Natanz and Isfahan before the U.S. carried out its own operation.
The strikes on Fordow targeted Iran’s most fortified nuclear site, located deep underground and designed to withstand heavy bombardment.
U.S. officials have described the operation as a coordinated effort to eliminate the regime’s nuclear enrichment capabilities.
While the full impact of the airstrikes is still under assessment, Pentagon officials have reiterated that the mission achieved its objectives.
No official public version of the damage assessment has been released, and committee briefings remain classified.
The White House and Department of Defense continue to defend the effectiveness of the mission and maintain that the Iranian nuclear program has been dealt a serious blow.
WE WILL HAVE ACCOUNTABILITY.
Q) Is there a leak investigation?@secdef “Of course, we are doing a leak investigation with the FBI right now. This information was for internal purposes.
CNN and others are trying to spin it to make the president look bad when this was an… pic.twitter.com/OCfDXo23rB
— DOD Rapid Response (@DODResponse) June 25, 2025
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