Marta Gichko08:53, 26.06.25

Disagreements between the White House and American intelligence regarding the consequences of the attack on Iran have intensified.

The Director of the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), John Ratcliffe, stated that Iran’s nuclear program has suffered “serious damage” as a result of recent targeted strikes by the United States on Iranian infrastructure facilities.

Ratcliffe ‘s statement refers specifically to “serious damage” and not “destruction” of Iran’s nuclear program, as the White House insists. As a result, disagreements between Donald Trump’s administration and US intelligence over the consequences of an attack on Iran have intensified.

Ratcliffe said Wednesday that the strikes had “seriously damaged” Iran’s nuclear program, based on new intelligence, including from trusted sources, that purportedly confirmed the destruction of several key sites. However, none of the intelligence agencies have officially confirmed the president’s claim of “complete destruction” of the sites.

The Pentagon previously assessed the damage level as “moderate to severe” in its report (DIA), noting that Iran’s program was likely set back only a few months. The report sparked a political firestorm, with Trump’s lawyers even threatening The New York Times with legal action for what they said was a distorted interpretation.

Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard issued a separate assessment that suggests it will take years to rebuild the affected facilities. Meanwhile, other agencies, including the National Security Agency and Geospatial Intelligence, are gathering additional evidence by analyzing intercepts and satellite imagery.

Democratic Senator Mark Warner called the situation “a dangerous example of political pressure on intelligence” and compared it to examples of data manipulation in the past, including in the Iraq cases.

Analysts have focused on the Isfahan facility, a conversion plant where enriched uranium is converted into metal for nuclear weapons. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the plant was “totally destroyed,” but some analysts say Iran may have other, undisclosed facilities for similar operations.

(C)UNIAN 2025