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A US strike on Iran last month damaged just one of three targeted nuclear enrichment facilities, according to an internal assessment reported by NBC News, raising questions about the true extent of Operation Midnight Hammer's impact on Tehran’s atomic programme.
The attack on the Fordow nuclear site “significantly” set back Iran’s work there, but the facilities at Natanz and Isfahan were reportedly left largely intact due to their deep underground construction, NBC said, citing unnamed officials familiar with the report.
The US military had prepared a far more expansive plan for sequential strikes on additional facilities over several weeks. However, President Donald Trump ultimately opted against the broader operation. NBC quoted senior officials as saying Trump was concerned about high casualty figures on both sides and was unwilling to escalate America’s military involvement, consistent with his aversion to foreign entanglements.
Contradictory claims
The findings are in stark contrast with public statements by both Trump and the Pentagon, which have continued to portray the June 22 strikes as overwhelmingly successful.
Trump has repeatedly described the results as total destruction, calling reports to the contrary “fake”. He posted on Truth Social: “Monumental damage was done to all nuclear sites in Iran, as shown by satellite images. ‘Obliteration’ is an accurate term! The white structure shown is deeply embedded into the rock, with even its roof well below ground level, and completely shielded from flame. The biggest damage took place far below ground level. Bullseye!!!”
Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell echoed the president’s view in a separate statement: “The credibility of the Fake News Media is similar to that of the current state of the Iranian nuclear facilities: destroyed, in the dirt, and will take years to recover. President Trump was clear and the American people understand: Iran’s nuclear facilities in Fordow, Isfahan, and Natanz were completely and totally obliterated. There is no doubt about that.”
Limited success
Despite the administration’s rhetoric, the NBC report cites internal assessments suggesting that only Fordo’s enrichment work was disrupted in any substantial way, potentially setting Iran back by up to two years. The use of GBU-57 “bunker buster” bombs in the operation — the first time they were deployed in combat — had limited impact on deeper underground structures at Natanz and Isfahan, officials said.
Operation Midnight Hammer, conducted in a single night, was publicly framed around its most successful element, with Fordow’s visible damage serving as proof of American military effectiveness. However, the muted effects on the other two sites are believed to have led military planners to quietly scale down post-strike assessments and shift attention away from the less successful aspects of the mission.
The Iranian government has yet to offer an official assessment of the damage or confirm any setbacks to its nuclear programme.
