On Wednesday, June 25, the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), a intelligence agency under the U.S. Department of Defense, clarified that their preliminary assessment of the strike on Iran’s nuclear program had low credibility and was not a final conclusion. As more intelligence is disclosed, the evaluation will continue to be refined.
Various American media outlets, including CNN, FOX, NBC, and The New York Times, referenced the latest report from the Defense Intelligence Agency on Tuesday, June 24. The report, based on assessments of the combat situation by the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM), indicated that the military strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities only delayed Iran’s nuclear program by a few months as Iran had already relocated most of its enriched uranium prior to the attacks.
This conclusion contrasts with the statement from the White House. President Trump claimed that the bombings had destroyed Iran’s nuclear facilities, postponing Iran’s nuclear program by decades.
It is currently unclear how this internal report information was leaked to the media.
According to a statement from the DIA, the leaked report to the media is “only a preliminary, low credibility assessment, not a final conclusion.”
The intelligence agency added that with more intelligence disclosures, the evaluation would “continue to be improved.”
A “low credibility” intelligence conclusion may suggest that the assessment was based on incomplete or insufficiently reviewed information and could change as more details are revealed.
The Wall Street Journal reported that a senior Defense Intelligence Agency official stated, “We cannot physically review actual locations, on-site verification would provide us with the best clues.”
“We are cooperating with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and other departments to investigate the unauthorized disclosure of classified information,” he added.
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who attended the NATO summit in the Netherlands, announced on Wednesday that the Pentagon was collaborating with the FBI to investigate the leak of a confidential report on the effects of the U.S. strikes against Iran over the weekend.
“We are, of course, working with the FBI on a leak investigation because this information is for internal purposes to assess war losses,” Hegseth told the media at a press conference. “And CNN and other media are trying to distort the facts and tarnish the president.”
When referring to the internal report, the president stated that the media truly did not know the actual situation.
“I think Israel will soon tell us because (Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu) will intervene in the whole situation,” Trump said.
The president also cited a public statement from the Israel Atomic Energy Commission which said, “The U.S. devastating strike on the Fordow nuclear facility destroyed key infrastructure of the facility, rendering the enrichment facility inoperable. We believe that the U.S. strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities, coupled with Israel’s strikes on other military nuclear program components of Iran, has set back Iran’s ability to develop nuclear weapons by years. If Iran cannot obtain nuclear materials, this process may be indefinitely halted.”
Other officials from the Trump administration also attempted to downplay the reports about the attack.
Secretary of State Marc Rubio, speaking to Politico in the Netherlands, stated that the media reports “distorted” the extent of the damages.
Steve Witkoff, the U.S. Special Envoy for Middle East Affairs, argued on Fox News on Tuesday night that leaking internal reports was “treason.”