CIA Director John Ratcliffe issued a firm rebuttal Wednesday against media reports downplaying the impact of the recent U.S. strikes on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, confirming that several key facilities were destroyed and the overall program has suffered severe, long-term damage.
🤦🏻♂️ because military flights and civilian flights are exactly the same with the midair refueling and all…. Plus they took off from Missouri and not Boston, which you used in your example…. That could be the larger issue. So quick to dispute you forgot common sense. https://t.co/vEyb4LExbl
— Angry Cops (@AngryCops) June 26, 2025
The statement comes in response to widespread reporting from outlets such as The New York Times, which suggested that President Donald Trump had overstated the success of the operation. Critics claimed the strikes only set back Iran’s nuclear program by months, not years, undercutting the president’s narrative ahead of his appearance at the NATO summit.
Ratcliffe’s statement directly challenged that characterization:
“CIA can confirm that a body of credible intelligence indicates Iran’s Nuclear Program has been severely damaged by the recent, targeted strikes,” he said. “This includes new intelligence from a historically reliable and accurate source/method that several key Iranian nuclear facilities were destroyed and would have to be rebuilt over the course of years.”
The CIA chief emphasized that intelligence collection is ongoing and pledged to update decision-makers and oversight entities as more data becomes available. He also stated the agency intends to release information to the public when national security permits, in the interest of transparency.
Ratcliffe’s comments align with earlier statements from Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, who also confirmed that Iran’s nuclear infrastructure suffered catastrophic damage. Gabbard stated plainly,
“If the Iranians chose to rebuild, they would have to rebuild all three facilities (Natanz, Fordo, Esfahan) entirely, which would likely take years to do.”
She also criticized the dissemination of a leaked “low-confidence” intelligence assessment cited in select media coverage, calling it a deliberate effort to undermine Trump and the military’s success.
“The propaganda media has deployed their usual tactic,” Gabbard said, “selectively releasing portions of illegally leaked classified intelligence… to try to undermine President Trump’s decisive leadership and the brave servicemen and women who flawlessly executed a truly historic mission.”
The CIA’s confirmation comes on the heels of statements from Iran’s own Foreign Ministry, which acknowledged that the country’s nuclear installations were “badly damaged.” Israeli intelligence, as well as the Israel Atomic Energy Commission, also called the strikes “devastating” and assessed that the operation set back Iran’s nuclear development by years, not months.
President Trump has stood by his characterization of the mission as a decisive success, stating during the NATO summit that the strikes “obliterated” Iran’s most sensitive nuclear capabilities. The latest intelligence from U.S. agencies now affirms that view.
