Pentagon intelligence: The US has failed to destroy Iran's nuclear facilities.

According to four sources who had access to the assessment and provided a description to CNN, the DIA's preliminary report was based on a Post-Battle Damage Analysis conducted by the U.S. Central Command.

Although the analysis is ongoing, initial findings paint a picture that differs considerably from what the public previously knew. Specifically:Iran's enriched uranium stockpile was not destroyed; the centrifuges, a key component in uranium enrichment, largely remained intact; damage was mostly limited to above-ground structures, including electrical infrastructure and some auxiliary facilities. Underground vaults, which housed the most critical components, appeared to have suffered little damage.

"Therefore, the DIA's assessment is that the U.S. may have pushed them back by a few months at most," a source said.

A strong reaction from the White House.

The White House acknowledged the existence of the assessment but immediately denied it vehemently. In a statement sent to CNN, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said: "This so-called assessment is completely false and classified as 'top secret' yet was leaked to CNN by an anonymous low-level loser in the intelligence community."

Ms. Leavitt alleged: "The leak of this so-called assessment is a clear attempt to undermine President Trump and discredit the brave fighter pilots who carried out a flawless mission to completely destroy Iran's nuclear program."

Meanwhile, other officials in the administration offered statements with varying nuances. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth echoed the President's view, asserting that "Iran's nuclear ambitions have been completely destroyed." However, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine was more cautious, saying it was still "too early" to comment on whether Iran still possessed nuclear capabilities.

This contradiction became even more apparent with the reactions from Congress. Republican Representative Michael McCaul, Chairman Emeritus of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, did not repeat Trump's "total destruction" claim. "I've been briefed on this plan in the past, and it never aimed to completely destroy nuclear facilities, but rather to inflict significant damage," McCaul told CNN. "But people always knew it was just a temporary setback."

Conversely, Democratic Representative Pat Ryan accused Trump of canceling a classified House briefing on the airstrikes without explanation. "The real reason? He claimed to have destroyed 'all nuclear facilities and capabilities'; his team knows they can't substantiate his bluffs and fabrications," Ryan wrote on X.

Independent arms experts also agree with the DIA's assessment. Jeffrey Lewis from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies said: "The ceasefire comes as neither Israel nor the U.S. can destroy some key underground nuclear facilities... These facilities could serve as a foundation for a rapid rebuilding of Iran's nuclear program."

Israel's assessment and remaining questions.

A noteworthy detail is that even Israel's assessment indicated less damage at Fordow than anticipated. Nevertheless, Israeli officials still believed that joint military action had set back Iran's nuclear program by two years – a claim they had made even before the US joined.

The airstrike also revealed technical challenges. The U.S. used Tomahawk cruise missiles, instead of bunker-busting bombs, to attack the Isfahan facility. One source said the reason was the recognition that even the most powerful MOP bombs would struggle to penetrate the Isfahan basements, which were believed to be even more fortified than Fordow.

Furthermore, U.S. officials believe that Iran still maintains other secret nuclear facilities that were not targeted in the recent attack and that they remain operational.