A week shifting description of Iranian attacks triggered continuing questions about the level of damage and purpose

A week after President Donald Trump ordered US attacks on three Iranian nuclear sites, explanations and descriptions of what happened was voiced by him, top aides and initial intelligence reports painted contrasting images about the level of damage to Iran’s nuclear program.

While the President and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth repeatedly claimed that the Iranian nuclear program had been “eliminated,” Initial Assessment – Including the Pentagon’s own intelligence wing – painted a picture that developed over the week.

Trump said he ordered an attack on June 21 to attack Uranium enrichment sites located in 300 feet on the mountains in the northwestern Iran, a Uranium enrichment site in Natanz and the Center for Isfahan Nuclear Technology following a report that Iranian officials failed to comply with international nuclear regulations.

And when the initial damage assessment doubted the extent to which Iran’s nuclear program was paralyzed, some Top Trump aides and allied parliament members also seemed to reduce the objectives of the stated attack.

Here are some accounts and characterization for the past week.

Officials label success missions, but provide some details to start

On Sunday morning, Defense Minister Pete Hegseth echoed Trump’s statement from Saturday night, right after strikes, that the sites had been “eliminated.”

“Obviously we destroyed Iran’s nuclear program,” he added.

The head of the head of the joint general and Caine, however, refused to go as far as, said that it would require more time to assess the level of damage that occurred.

Hegseth acknowledged that the assessment of damage was ongoing but was trapped by the description he and Trump used.

“All our precision ammunition struck where we want them to attack and have the desired effect, which means especially the main target here, we believe we achieve the destruction of the ability there,” he said.

Early Damage Report Pentagon leaked

Officials and inspector from outside Iran have not been able to get direct access to the site that is bombed to make a direct assessment.

Trump officials have more nuances after the news report appeared Tuesday regarding the assessment of the initial defense intelligence agents who said the attack returned the Iranian nuclear program only based on several months.

On Wednesday, State Secretary Marco Rubio condemned the leakage of military reports but did not go further to claim that these sites were eliminated.

On the contrary, he insisted that “very significant and substantial damage is carried out” for the main components of Iran’s nuclear program, “and we only learn more about it.”

At the same time, Rubio gave further details about the attack, including that the bunker-buster bombs were dropped on ventilation axis that led to the former facility which was highly fortified, officials and experts said, 200 to 300 feet inside the mountain.

He finally admitted that it was difficult to read the damage caused by the current Ferdo, but emphasized, “The point is that real damage has occurred.”

On the same day, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard claimed in a statement that the three facilities were destroyed.

The Director General of the UN Nuclear Supervisory Agency, the International Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi, said on Wednesday that he believed some of the Iranian enriched uranium had been moved from the location before the attack.

Trump denied the analysis.

“It might take two weeks, maybe. But it is very difficult to remove such material, very difficult and very dangerous. Plus, they know we will come, and if they know we come, they will not be there,” he said Wednesday.

Trump reiterated that the site and uranium were buried under the debris and inaccessible, adding that the trucks that were seen in satellite images in the factory before the attack – which some speculated could be used to move nuclear materials – were construction vehicles used to cover ventilation a shaft openings with protective concrete.

According to two people who are familiar with his secret report, the bombing sealed the entrance to two of the three nuclear sites targeted in attack but most of the damage was carried out on the structure above the ground, leaving a lower structure.

The assessment also found that at least some of the enriched uraniums remain – may be moved from the nuclear site in front of the explosion.

The next day, on Thursday, Hegseth held a press conference where he slammed the news media due to reporting but did not make the same assessment about nuclear material.

Asked twice during the briefing whether he could be more certain about whether the enriched Uranium was moved before the attack, Hegseth said the Pentagon “watched every aspect.”

At the same Thursday briefing, Caine noted that it was not his duty to assess the damage, by saying, “We do not judge our own homework.”

The destruction of the facilities underestimated by officials, the ceasefire is emphasized

Hegseth also highlighted what seemed to be a different mission goal, on the grounds that the attack was successful because it caused the battle between Iran and Israel – rather than the destruction of the facility because it destroyed the Iranian nuclear program.

“We got that peace, the ceasefire, the choice was due to strength, because [Trump’s] Willingness to use the American military that cannot be done by others on this planet with the type of planner and operator that is only placed by the chairman, “he said.

Then, on Friday, Trump echoed the sentiment.

“They put out the fire as soon as it happened, as soon as the bomb came out, the war was finished,” he said.

However, the President claimed again that these sites were eliminated during a press conference.

“We finished it,” he said, added, “I don’t believe that they will return to the nuclear in the near future.”

Abbas Araghchi, Iran’s Foreign Minister said on Iran’s State TV on Thursday, however, the facility was not destroyed and his country would take advantage of negotiations.

The fate of enriched uranium

In Capitol Hill on Thursday, after administrative officials gave members of the secret briefing about the strike, members of the Republican parliament acknowledged that the US attack might not destroy the Iranian cache of the enriched Uranium. But they say it’s not part of the mission.

“The purpose of this mission is to eliminate certain aspects of their nuclear programs. That is eliminated. To get rid of nuclear materials is not part of the mission,” Rep. Greg Murphy, RN.C., told CNN.

Senator Lindsey Graham, RS.C., said “The program was eliminated on the three sites,” but added, “I do not know where 900 pounds are very enriched. But that is not part of the target there.”