Strikes did not destroy Iran nuclear sites, report says

US military strikes on three of Iran's nuclear facilities over the weekend did not destroy the country's nuclear program, early intelligence suggests, contrary to claims by President Donald Trump.

- OLIVER O'CONNELL

Citing four people briefed on the initial assessment produced by the Defense Intelligence Agency, CNN reports that the strikes probably only set Iran's nuclear ambitions back by months.

The DIA, the Pentagon's intelligence agency, based its assessment on battle damage analysis carried out by US Central Command after the strikes on Saturday night, according to one source who spoke with CNN.

While analysis of the damage to the three sites is still ongoing and may change as more intelligence becomes available, these early findings contradict Mr Trump's repeated claims that the strikes "completely and totally obliterated" Iran's nuclear enrichment facilities. The same claim was made on Sunday by secretary of defence Pete Hegseth.

Two of the people familiar with the assessment cited by CNN said Iran's stockpile of enriched uranium was not destroyed.