Iran's nuclear programme set back by up to two years after US strikes: Pentagon

US strikes have set back Iran's nuclear programme by up to two years, the Pentagon said. President Trump claimed the joint US-Israeli operation had "obliterated" Iran's nuclear infrastructure.

In Short

• Three key Iranian sites destroyed with bunker-buster bombs
• Pentagon estimates delay of Iran's programme up to two years
• IAEA warns Iran may resume uranium enrichment soon

The Pentagon said on Wednesday that recent US strikes have significantly degraded Iran’s nuclear capabilities, potentially setting the programme back by as much as two years. Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell told reporters that all three targeted sites were successfully destroyed, with internal assessments estimating a delay “probably closer to two years.”

"We have degraded their program by one to two years, at least intel assessments inside the Department (of Defence) assess that," Parnell told reporters. "All of the intelligence that we've seen (has) led us to believe that Iran's -- those facilities especially, have been completely obliterated," he added.

US bombers on June 22 targeted three Iranian nuclear sites with over a dozen 30,000-pound bunker-buster bombs. The strikes followed President Donald Trump's claim that Iran’s nuclear program had been “obliterated.” However, questions remain about their effectiveness. Over the weekend, IAEA chief Rafael Grossi warned that Iran could resume producing enriched uranium within months, casting doubt on the lasting impact of the US operation.

According to a Wall Street Journal report, Iran has begun excavation work at its Fordow uranium enrichment site following the US airstrikes. Satellite imagery from Maxar Technologies shows new access roads and construction vehicles, including an excavator and crane, near ventilation shafts reportedly hit by US bunker-buster bombs on June 22.

According to news agency Reuters, some experts have warned that Iran may have relocated its stockpile of near weapons-grade uranium from the fortified Fordow facility before the June 22 strikes, raising questions about the operation’s full impact. However, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said he was unaware of any intelligence confirming such a move.

An initial assessment by the Defence Intelligence Agency last week estimated that the strikes may have delayed Iran’s nuclear program by only a few months. But Trump administration officials dismissed that analysis as low-confidence, saying newer intelligence indicates Iran’s program suffered far more extensive damage.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi acknowledged the severity of the attack on Fordow in an interview with CBS News: “No one exactly knows what has transpired in Fordow. That being said, what we know so far is that the facilities have been seriously and heavily damaged.”

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With inputs from Reuters