Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has forcefully defended the United States’ bombing campaign against Iranian nuclear facilities, insisting it “decimated” the Islamic Republic’s program despite leaked intelligence suggesting otherwise. Speaking from the Pentagon on Thursday, Hegseth leaned on artificial intelligence modeling and test visuals of the GBU-57 “bunker buster” bombs, stating the strikes were executed “on speed and on parameters” and caused critical internal damage.

Initial assessments from the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), leaked earlier this week, suggested that Iran’s enrichment facilities—particularly at Fordow—remained structurally intact and could resume operations within months. Hegseth dismissed the assessment as “preliminary” and politically motivated: “Someone had an agenda to muddy the waters and make it look like this historic strike wasn’t successful.”

AI Models vs. Intelligence Reports

General Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, emphasized reliance on Pentagon modeling to justify the results of “Operation Midnight Hammer,” calling it “the culmination of 15 years of incredible work” by the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA). Caine stated that the strike had achieved its “mission kill” objectives through over-pressure and internal tunnel collapse at Fordow, though no physical post-strike verification has yet been made public.

The Guardian had earlier reported DTRA’s prior warnings that even a multiple GBU-57 strike might not be able to penetrate deeply enough to ensure destruction of Iran’s most fortified facilities.

Trump’s Response and Media Attacks

Former President Donald Trump, attending the NATO summit at The Hague, denounced the leak, praising the B-2 pilots involved and criticizing what he called “Fake News” coverage. “These patriots were very upset,” he wrote on Truth Social. “They knew the success was legendary.” Hegseth echoed these sentiments, blaming the press for undermining morale and suggesting possible consequences for reporters publishing classified assessments.

Contradictory Signals from U.S. Intelligence

While Hegseth claimed no knowledge of enriched uranium being moved, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said Iran’s 400kg stockpile of 60% enriched uranium could no longer be accounted for. Meanwhile, CIA Director John Ratcliffe and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard announced “new intelligence” showing that facilities at Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan were rendered unusable and would require years to rebuild.

These claims stand in stark contrast to the DIA’s findings, which concluded the strike merely delayed the nuclear program by months. As debates persist in Washington, the true impact of the U.S. operation remains shrouded in uncertainty.