Defense Intelligence: Iran's Nuclear Program Still Largely Intact

 

Oops:

The US military strikes on three of Iran’s nuclear facilities last weekend did not destroy the core components of the country’s nuclear program and likely only set it back by months, according to an early US intelligence assessment that was described by four people briefed on it.

The assessment, which has not been previously reported, was produced by the Defense Intelligence Agency, the Pentagon’s intelligence arm. It is based on a battle damage assessment conducted by US Central Command in the aftermath of the US strikes, one of the sources said.

The analysis of the damage to the sites and the impact of the strikes on Iran’s nuclear ambitions is ongoing, and could change as more intelligence becomes available. But the early findings are at odds with President Donald Trump’s repeated claims that the strikes “completely and totally obliterated” Iran’s nuclear enrichment facilities. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth also said on Sunday that Iran’s nuclear ambitions “have been obliterated.”

Two of the people familiar with the assessment said Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium was not destroyed. One of the people said the centrifuges are largely “intact.”

“So the (DIA) assessment is that the US set them back maybe a few months, tops,” this person added. 

So, the only obliteration that occurred was to any claim of competence by "DONAKD J. TRUMP, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES" and his clown car regime and to any chance American "diplomacy" under these chaotic clowns would be taken seriously by friend and foe alike.  Speaking of clowns, here's what the Malignant Fascist's spokesliar had to say:

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told CNN in a statement: “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. 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. Everyone knows what happens when you drop fourteen 30,000 pound bombs perfectly on their targets: total obliteration.”

This Christofascist twit, who would otherwise never have the word "intelligence" associated with her, must think the 30,000 pound bunker busters were delivered by "fighter" pilots, not B-2 bomber pilots.  Expertise!  We know who's the true "low-level loser," Karoline-with-a-K. 

There's also this picture that's been circulated of vehicles lining up at the Fordow site days before the bombing, presumably to remove centrifuges and /or enriched uranium after the Malignant Fascist very helpfully issued his threats to obliterate it:

Iran thanks you for the heads-up, stable genius!

So, we'll wait and see what we see in the days ahead, putting more weight on professional intelligence services than the "feelings" of a cult leader and his professional parrots.

(Top photo:  Slim Pickens rides the bomb in "Dr. Strangelove."  bottom photo: Fodow site days before bombing / Maxar Technologies/AFP via Getty Images, via NY Post)