U.S. and Israeli aggression fails to cripple Iran’s nuclear capabilities, despite bold claims

Department of Research, Studies and International News 03-07-2025

In the aftermath of a 12-day war initiated by Israeli air strikes and later joined by the United States, Washington is now asserting that its military campaign has set back Iran’s nuclear programme by “one to two years.” This assessment, announced by the Pentagon, follows an earlier, more boastful declaration from former President Donald Trump, who claimed the strikes had “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear infrastructure in unprecedented fashion.

Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell described the strikes as a “bold operation,” targeting three key Iranian nuclear sites. “We have degraded their programme by one to two years at least,” Parnell told the press, citing internal intelligence evaluations. However, these assessments have yet to be independently verified, and many observers remain sceptical of Washington’s narrative.

President Trump had ordered a series of air strikes on June 21, deploying B-2 stealth bombers against Iranian territory in coordination with ongoing Israeli operations. The United States justified its actions by portraying Iran’s peaceful nuclear development as an imminent threat, an accusation long rejected by Tehran, which has consistently maintained that its programme is solely for civilian purposes.

Despite Trump’s bold assertions, earlier intelligence reports leaked to media outlets painted a different picture. These assessments indicated that the U.S. air raids had, at best, caused minor disruptions, delaying Iran’s nuclear progress by mere months rather than years. Even satellite images suggested only partial damage to underground facilities, such as the Fordow enrichment site. In fact, before the attacks, satellite surveillance detected movements of trucks suspected of relocating sensitive materials, possibly in anticipation of a strike.

Tehran, for its part, has remained strategically reserved in disclosing the full scope of the damage. While some officials acknowledged the severity of the attacks, blaming both the U.S. and Israel, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei dismissed Trump’s claims as deliberate exaggeration aimed at political posturing.

Adding to the complexity, Rafael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), stated that it remains unclear whether uranium stockpiles were compromised in the bombing. “We don’t know where this material could be or if part of it could have been under the attack during those 12 days,” he said in an interview, hinting at the possibility that some materials may have been destroyed or relocated. Nonetheless, Grossi confirmed that Iran has the capability to resume uranium enrichment within months if it chooses to do so.

The strikes also marked a turning point in Iran’s relations with the IAEA. In a strong act of defiance following the war, Iran’s parliament passed legislation suspending its cooperation with the agency, citing the IAEA’s silence on the illegal attacks against sovereign nuclear infrastructure. Under international law, notably the Geneva Conventions, such installations, due to the catastrophic potential of their destruction, are explicitly protected from military targeting.

Iran has further accused the IAEA of colluding with Tel Aviv. According to Iranian authorities, documents obtained prior to the conflict suggest that the agency shared confidential information with Israeli intelligence, allegations the IAEA denies.

Meanwhile, the U.S. State Department has hypocritically called on Iran to resume collaboration with international inspectors. “It is unacceptable that Iran chose to suspend cooperation with the IAEA,” said spokesperson Tammy Bruce, attempting to shift the blame for deteriorating diplomatic relations onto Tehran, despite Washington’s participation in the illegal bombings.

The war began when Israel launched a surprise assault on Iran on June 13, citing unverifiable threats of a nuclear breakout. Iran firmly denies any pursuit of nuclear weapons and has repeatedly called for a nuclear-free Middle East, an idea consistently blocked by Washington and its allies. It is worth noting that Israel itself possesses an undeclared nuclear arsenal, a fact known globally but rarely addressed in Western media.

During the conflict, Israeli air raids resulted in the deaths of hundreds of Iranian civilians, including scientists and high-ranking officials. Iran retaliated with coordinated missile strikes on Israeli territory, killing 29 people and causing widespread destruction. When the U.S. entered the fray, its strikes targeted Iran’s nuclear infrastructure directly. In response, Iran launched missiles at a U.S. military base in Qatar, causing no casualties.

Eventually, under mounting pressure and the threat of escalation, Trump announced a ceasefire. Both Iranian and Israeli officials have since claimed “historic victories”, a reflection of the narrative war that continues beyond the battlefield.

In truth, despite aggressive military campaigns and propagandist rhetoric, Iran’s nuclear programme remains intact and adaptable. The real cost of this conflict has been paid by innocent civilians, regional stability, and the international norms that the U.S. and its allies claim to uphold but routinely violate.