U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday described the impact of recent missile strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities as “severe,” while conceding that intelligence assessments about the extent of the damage remain uncertain.
His remarks came in response to reports that the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) had concluded the strikes may have delayed Iran’s nuclear program by only a few months. This assessment appeared to contradict public statements from administration officials suggesting the program had been decisively dismantled.
“The intelligence was very inconclusive,” Trump told reporters ahead of a NATO summit in The Hague. “The intelligence says we don’t know. It could’ve been very severe. That’s what the intelligence suggests.”
Despite this ambiguity, Trump insisted Iran’s nuclear ambitions had been dealt a long-term blow. “I think the program has been set back basically decades, because I don’t think they’ll ever do it again,” he said.
Seated alongside Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth both questioned the accuracy of the leaked DIA report. Rubio added that an investigation had been launched into the leak and claimed the report may have been mischaracterized in the media.
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