US 'holds back' Iran's nuclear program for nearly 2 years
US allies are united in their determination to end the attacks on three Iranian nuclear sites, which set back the country's program by nearly two years.
According to TASS news agency on July 3, US Defense Department spokesman Sean Parnel said that the US believes that their attack on Iran has caused the country's nuclear program to "slow down by 2 years".
According to Mr. Parnel, US allies agree that after the attack on three nuclear facilities in Iran, the US is believed to have "slowed down Iran's nuclear program by 1 or 2 years".
"That is the assessment of the US Department of Defense intelligence agency," Mr. Parnell said.
"I think we've set it back about two years. We've pushed their program back two years," Parnell continued to tell reporters on July 2.
Earlier, CNN cited sources as saying that US intelligence believes that the country's attacks on Iran did not destroy key components of the Islamic Republic's nuclear program. According to preliminary intelligence assessments, the attack is likely to delay Tehran's ability to obtain an atomic bomb by only a few months, CNN noted. According to this information, the assessment was made by US Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) staff based on an analysis conducted by US Central Command after the US attacks. CNN's source said that Iran's enriched uranium stocks were not destroyed and the centrifuges were "largely undamaged".
The White House said CNN's reports were false and called the leak "an obvious attempt to humiliate President Donald Trump."
From June 13 to 24, Israel carried out daily airstrikes on Iran. The operation's goal was reportedly to destroy the Islamic Republic's missile and nuclear programs. Tehran responded by shelling Israeli territory with missiles and drones.
The United States entered the conflict on the night of June 22, attacking three nuclear facilities in Iran. On the evening of June 23, Tehran launched a missile attack on the largest US air base in the Middle East, Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar.
According to US authorities, there were no casualties and no significant damage occurred. Later, US President Donald Trump announced that Israel and Iran had agreed to a complete ceasefire. The ceasefire took effect on June 24.
