US strikes 'did not destroy Iran's nuclear programme': White House rages after 'top secret' doc is leaked as Israel AND Iran claim victory

US strikes 'did not destroy Iran's nuclear programme': White House rages after 'top secret' doc is leaked as Israel AND Iran claim victory
By: dailymail Posted On: June 25, 2025 View: 45

A leaked intelligence document claiming US strikes on Iran did not destroy the country's nuclear programme has been blasted by the White House as 'flat-out wrong'.

The 'top secret' report suggested that Tehran's stockpile of enriched uranium remained intact after the bombing on Saturday night - with the damage mainly confined to aboveground structures. 

It differs from Mr Trump's assessment who said the air strikes on the Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan sites 'completely and totally obliterated' Iran's nuclear facilities.

The report, which the White House also branded 'a clear attempt to demean' the president, was conducted by the Defense Intelligence Agency and leaked by CNN

Anonymous sources familiar with the Pentagon's assessment told US media that the unprecedented missile strikes only set Iran back 'a few months, tops'. 

They argued that despite two entrances to nuclear facilities being sealed off, most of the operation was not impacted by the 30,000lb 'bunker buster' bombs. 

The US's Massive Ordnance Penetrator explosive was believed to be the only weapon capable of destroying Tehran's nuclear programme, located deep underground. 

Insiders also claimed that some of Tehran's enriched uranium stockpile was moved prior to the strikes. 

The shock claims come as both Israel and Iran claimed historic victories in the conflict following a fragile ceasefire brokered by President Trump.

Picture taken on June 19 shows trucks positioned near the entrance of Iran's Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant
Satellite image shows craters along the access roads that lead to the tunnel entrances on Iran's Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant
President Donald Trump went on a foul-mouthed tirade on the South Lawn on Tuesday

In response to the leaked document, press secretary Karoline Leavitt told CNN: 'This alleged assessment is flat-out wrong and was classified as "top secret" but was still leaked to CNN by an anonymous, low-level loser in the intelligence community.

'The leaking of this alleged assessment is a clear attempt to demean President Trump, and discredit the brave fighter pilots who conducted a perfectly executed mission to obliterate Iran's nuclear program.

'Everyone knows what happens when you drop fourteen 30,000 pound bombs perfectly on their targets: total obliteration.'

Claiming victory in the 12-day war, Israeli Benjamin Netanyahu yesterday praised the US president and said the outcome would 'stand for generations'.

Meanwhile in Tehran, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian also declared his country had come out on top. 

He hailed the 'heroic resistance of our great nation' after the 'provocation' of Israel.

A furious Mr Trump launched a foul-mouthed rant yesterday after Israel broke the terms of its ceasefire with Iran.

Mr Netanyahu was forced to call off planned Israeli air strikes on 'the heart of Tehran' following the intervention.

The Israeli leader, who could face greater domestic and global pressure to end the conflict in Gaza, dismissed their spat, saying Israel had 'never had a better friend' than President Trump in the White House.

U.S. President Donald Trump, Dutch King Willem-Alexander and Dutch Queen Maxima pictured together on Tuesday
A B-2 bomber arrives at Whiteman Air Force Base, on Sunday, June 22, 2025 following a series of raid against Iran's nuclear facilities over the weekend
Photo taken on June 24 shows an overview of Isfahan nuclear enrichment facility and nearby tunnels in central Iran

 Addressing Israelis on TV, Mr Netanyahu said: 'This victory will be remembered for generations. We removed two immediate existential threats – a nuclear threat and a ballistic missile threat.

'If we had not acted, we would soon be facing the danger of annihilation.

'Our friend President Trump has stood by us in an unprecedented way – under his direction the US military destroyed the deep-earth enrichment site at Fordow.'

He added that Israel 'must complete its campaign' in Gaza by defeating the threat of Hamas and bringing home the remaining Israeli hostages held there.

Last night, Mr Trump arrived in The Hague to attend the second day of the NATO summit there.

But moments before he began his journey, he addressed reporters and displayed anger with Israel. 

The US President, who had agreed a peace deal with Mr Netanyahu on Monday evening, said: 'As soon as we made the deal, they [Israel] came out and dropped a load of bombs, the likes of which I've never seen before, the biggest loads that we've seen.

'I'm not happy with Israel. When I say, 'OK, you have 12 hours', you don't go out in the first hour and just drop everything you have on them. 

Destruction seen in Tehran on Monday in the aftermath of an Israeli strike
Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu gives a statement during a visit to the site of the Weizmann Institute of Science

 'So I'm not happy with them. I'm not happy with Iran either but I'm really unhappy with Israel. We basically have two countries that have been fighting so long and so hard that they don't know what the f*** they're doing. Do you understand that?'

He rang Mr Netanyahu to express his displeasure and, according to US sources, spoke to the Israeli PM 'in an exceptionally firm and direct way'.

Subsequently, Mr Netanyahu agreed to call off further raids on Iran. Israeli jets airborne over enemy territory turned back after just one had dropped its payload.

After Mr Trump announced the ceasefire on Monday evening, he went to bed assuming it would be honoured. 

But he woke up yesterday morning to learn that it had been violated by both sides and that Israel was planning major attacks on Tehran.

The agreement followed Iran's attack on the US-run airbase at Al-Udeid in Qatar. 

The regime signalled its intentions hours in advance allowing the Gulf state to close its airbase and prepare its defences. 

Consequently, there were no casualties and none of its 14 missiles – one for each of the US GBU-57 'bunker-buster' bombs that hit the Fordow nuclear enrichment plant on Sunday – struck the base.

Following the ceasefire, Mr Trump predicted that Iran would 'get on to being a great trading nation', adding: 'Iranians are very good traders, very good business people and they have a lot of oil.' 

Pictured are some of the drones Iran has been building to strike targets across Israel
Workers clean up debris near a building in Beersheba, Israel where four people were killed by an Iranian missile strike

 Iran claimed yesterday at least 610 people had been killed since Israel's attacks began on June 13, including 13 children. Iran's attacks on Israel killed 28 people, according to official figures.

In another post, Mr Trump said: 'Both Israel and Iran wanted to stop the war, equally. It was my great honour to destroy all the nuclear facilities and capability and then stop the war.'

The US President was welcomed to the summit by Nato Secretary General Mark Rutte hours after he sent Mr Trump a fawning personal message, which the US President then reposted.

Mr Rutte, who has been called 'the Trump whisperer' for his influence over the US President, did what Britain has refused to do – praised him for bombing Iran.

He wrote: 'Congratulations and thank you for your decisive action in Iran, that was truly extraordinary and something no one else dared to do. It makes us all safer.'

Last night, UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said the ceasefire 'must hold', adding: 'This is an opportunity to secure much-needed stability in the Middle East. Iran must never be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon.'

Meanwhile, yesterday, the RAF brought home more UK citizens stranded in Israel, and officials in Gaza said Israeli forces killed 46 people waiting for aid.

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