President Donald Trump has responded to questions surrounding the recent U.S. military operation targeting three
Iranian nuclear facilities, reaffirming his confidence in the mission’s execution and results.
The operation—reportedly named Operation Midnight Hammer—involved coordinated strikes on the Fordo, Natanz, and Isfahan sites.
Carried out over the weekend, the mission was supported by more than 100 aircraft, including advanced
B-2 stealth bombers, according to reports from senior defense officials.
Initially hailed by the White House as a “major success,” the mission is now facing scrutiny following emerging expert analyses and reported
assessments from within the intelligence community. Continues…
Dr. Jeffrey Lewis, Director of the East Asia Nonproliferation Program at the Middlebury Institute, offered perspective in an interview with The Independent.
“Fordow has symbolic value, but it’s not the only facility associated with Iran’s nuclear program,” Lewis noted.
He also suggested that Iran may have taken precautionary measures in the lead-up to the strikes, potentially limiting the impact on core infrastructure.
A preliminary assessment reportedly conducted by the Defense Intelligence Agency—as cited by CNN—suggests that portions of Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile may still be intact
. Two officials familiar with the classified evaluation indicated that further actions could
be considered to address the broader nuclear development capabilities.
The White House, however, strongly disputed the report’s implications. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt called the claims “flat-out wrong,” adding that they appear to stem from unverified
