by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Washington D.C. Bureau Chief
(Worthy News) – Israel’s military and intelligence leadership are expressing confidence that Iran’s nuclear program has been significantly disrupted following a series of U.S. and Israeli airstrikes on key nuclear sites, though officials caution that the full impact of the campaign is still being assessed.
Speaking Wednesday, IDF spokesperson Brig. Gen. Effi Defrin declared that Israel had achieved “all operational objectives” in the joint campaign. “Our assessment is that we significantly disrupted the nuclear program and set it back by years,” Defrin stated. “There is an Iran before the operation — and there is an Iran after.”
New satellite imagery released by Maxar Technologies reveals widespread devastation at Iran’s nuclear facilities in Natanz, Fordow, and Isfahan. Bunker-busting bombs delivered by U.S. B-2 bombers created deep craters, collapsed access tunnels, and leveled support infrastructure, particularly at the highly fortified Fordow site. Israeli strikes, which preceded the U.S. bombardment, are believed to have softened key targets.
At Isfahan, imagery shows access tunnels destroyed and buildings flattened, though reports indicate the U.S. deliberately avoided striking three Chinese-built research reactors that contain roughly 900 grams of weapons-grade enriched uranium. Meanwhile, at Natanz, two craters were visible until recently filled in with earth, suggesting Iran is attempting to obscure the extent of the damage.
IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi confirmed the seriousness of the strikes. “There is one Iran before June 13 — nuclear Iran — and one now,” Grossi said in an interview with Fox News. “It is night and day.” He later emphasized that Iran’s enrichment capability has suffered “very serious damage,” particularly at Natanz.
Despite the operation’s apparent success, confusion erupted after a leaked Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) report suggested Iran’s program was only set back by “a few months.” The White House dismissed the report as “fake news,” with President Donald Trump calling it “inconclusive” and “premature,” noting Israel’s forthcoming battle damage assessment would provide a clearer picture.
Speaking at the NATO summit in the Netherlands, Trump doubled down: “We obliterated Iran’s nuclear capability. You don’t drop twelve bunker busters on Fordow and walk away empty-handed.”
Israeli officials echoed that sentiment. “There is no indication that the operation failed. Nobody here is disappointed,” one official told Axios. While Israel has not issued a final report, its intelligence agencies are reportedly far more optimistic than the DIA’s early findings.
Meanwhile, the IAEA raised a red flag regarding the location of enriched uranium previously known to be at the struck sites. “We cannot account for nearly 900 pounds of potentially enriched uranium,” Grossi warned, pressing Iran to allow inspectors to resume monitoring. Tehran, however, claims it took “protective measures,” possibly relocating the material prior to the strikes. Grossi was blunt: “There is a question there: Where is this?”
Although Vice President JD Vance noted that 60% enriched uranium is still below the 90% needed for a nuclear weapon, Grossi emphasized that the missing material’s whereabouts remain a serious concern for global security.
As tensions simmer, observers say the strike has weakened Iran’s strategic position, but warn the regime’s next move could determine whether the region edges toward renewed diplomacy — or another spiral into war.
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
Latest News from Worthy News
Romania and neighboring Hungary are facing an energy crisis linked to a record heat wave and the related low level of the Danube River, with Romania forced to shut down its last operating nuclear reactor while Hungary struggles to keep the only one of its four Paks reactors still operating online.
An elderly Christian leader has been detained in India for allegedly offending the religious sentiments of the Asian nation’s Hindu majority on social media.
Members of Pakistan’s Christian minority were reeling Friday after numerous violent incidents over faith and what they say were false allegations of blasphemy against Islam, the majority religion in the Asian nation.
The number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits remained relatively low in early August, offering another sign that widespread layoffs have yet to take hold even as hiring across the U.S. economy remains subdued.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) carried out a second preemptive airstrike in Gaza in two days Thursday, targeting a Hamas terror cell in Khan Yunis that Israeli military officials said was preparing an attack against Israeli forces.
The Trump administration has announced nearly $2 billion in health and humanitarian assistance for faith-based organizations, placing several major Christian ministries at the center of a reshaped U.S. foreign-aid strategy following sweeping cuts to USAID programs.
Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar has cast doubt on a controversial Russian-led expansion of Hungary’s only nuclear power plant after record-low levels of the Danube River nearly forced its existing reactors into a complete shutdown.