On Sunday, U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth declared that “Iran’s nuclear ambitions have been obliterated,” just hours after American forces targeted three prominent nuclear enrichment facilities in Iran.
Praising President Donald Trump’s directive, Hegseth described the order as “focused, powerful, and clear.” He emphasized that the operation was not aimed at instigating regime change in Iran.
“The president authorized a precision operation to neutralize the threats to our national interest posed by the Iranian nuclear program and to ensure the collective self-defense of our troops and our ally Israel,” Hegseth stated during an early morning press briefing.
His statements echoed those of President Trump, who, in remarks made late Saturday after the attacks, celebrated the “destruction of Iran’s nuclear enrichment capacity.”
However, the precise impact of the strikes on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure remains uncertain. General Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, reported Sunday that there was “severe damage and destruction” at the sites in Fordo, Natanz, and Isfahan. He refrained from declaring that Iran’s nuclear capabilities had been completely “obliterated.”
“Final battle damage assessments will take some time, but preliminary indications suggest that all three sites have sustained extremely severe damage and destruction,” Caine added.
This is breaking news and will be updated.
