France’s top intelligence official revealed Tuesday that American and Israeli strikes had succeeded in eliminating part of Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium, though uncertainty remains over the whereabouts of the rest.
In an interview with LCI TV, Nicolas Lerner, the director of France’s DGSE foreign intelligence agency, stated that Iran’s entire nuclear operation had suffered a setback of several months as a result of the joint air campaign. Lerner added that although France had some information about the locations of Iran’s remaining uranium, a full accounting wouldn’t be possible until international nuclear inspectors returned to Iran.
His comments overlap only partially with Washington’s perspective. Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell recently stated that Iran’s nuclear program was likely pushed back by a year or two following the Israeli and American strikes. He confirmed that core nuclear sites at Natanz, Isfahan, and the heavily fortified Fordow facility had been hit and rendered inoperative.
This U.S. assessment came after days of conflicting narratives about how extensive the damage was, particularly at Fordow, widely considered Iran’s most secure nuclear site.
On the night of the attack, President Trump declared that the targeted nuclear installations had been “completely destroyed,” describing the operation as having “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear program. However, hours later, Gen. Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, adopted a more reserved tone, stating the sites were severely damaged but refraining from calling them fully destroyed.
Further muddying the picture, CNN and The New York Times later cited unnamed U.S. intelligence sources who believed the strikes may have only caused a short-term disruption—perhaps just a few months’ delay. That report reportedly provoked frustration within the White House, with Trump and his aides accusing the media of playing down the mission’s success for political purposes. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth reinforced the president’s message, repeating that the facilities were “obliterated” and accusing critics of downplaying a significant military achievement.
President Trump has continued to assert that the nuclear sites were taken out completely, saying that Israeli agents had already examined Fordow and would soon provide further assessments. However, Aryeh Deri, leader of the Shas Party and a key ally of Prime Minister Netanyahu, cast doubt on that claim.
A report by the Israeli Atomic Energy Commission released following the conflict stated that the U.S.-Israeli offensive had rolled back Iran’s nuclear development “many years.” Nonetheless, CNN later reported that Israeli intelligence insiders estimated the setback to be closer to two years and that the damage to Fordow was “less than expected.”
At a Tuesday evening meeting with Netanyahu at the White House, Trump reiterated that Iran’s nuclear network had been “wiped out.” When asked whether another strike was on the table, he responded, “I hope we don’t need to. I don’t imagine we will. They want to talk. They’re in a different place than two weeks ago. We’ll do everything to ensure Iran doesn’t go nuclear.”
Trump also disclosed that Iran had expressed interest in resuming nuclear negotiations. “When this happened, I said—what’s the point? Everything’s already destroyed. But they asked to meet, and I will. If we can sign something, great. I think they gained a lot of respect for us—and for Israel too.”
While he acknowledged that a written agreement would be preferable, Trump said he believed the results of the strikes may have rendered a formal document less necessary. “I think it’s best to put it in writing, but after the incredible outcome of the strike, I’m not sure we need to. That spoke louder than any paper.”
Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff, who is currently facilitating talks between Israel and Hamas, also serves as the lead negotiator in U.S. discussions with Iran. He indicated that new talks could resume “within the coming week.”
{Matzav.com}