U.S. Department of Defense: "Iran's Nuclear Program Set Back Up to Two Years by U.S. Military Strikes"

Sean Parnell, U.S. Department of Defense Spokesperson. Photo by AP Yonhap News

Amid ongoing controversy over the extent of damage to Iran's nuclear capabilities following U.S. airstrikes on Iran, the U.S. Department of Defense has assessed that Iran's nuclear program has been set back by up to two years.

Sean Parnell, spokesperson for the U.S. Department of Defense, stated during a press briefing at the Pentagon near Washington, D.C. on July 2 (local time), "We have set their (Iran's) nuclear program back by one to two years," adding, "I believe it is likely closer to two years."

On June 21, U.S. forces attacked three Iranian nuclear facilities?Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan?using bunker-buster bombs and Tomahawk missiles. President Trump, who ordered the strikes, claimed that the targeted nuclear facilities were completely destroyed.

While some, including Israel, have argued that Iran's nuclear program was set back by several years as a result of attacks by the U.S. and Israel, certain U.S. media outlets such as The New York Times and CNN cited an initial assessment report by the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), reporting that the setback amounted to only several months. This sparked controversy. In response, President Trump strongly denounced these reports as "fake news," and U.S. defense and intelligence officials subsequently issued statements supporting President Trump's claim of "total destruction."

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