US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has downplayed a preliminary intelligence assessment that airstrikes on three Iranian nuclear facilities over the weekend caused damage but did not completely destroy them. This was made clear during a press conference attended by Hegseth and other senior military officials, The Times of Israel reports, Focus reports.
“President Trump is leading the most complex and secretive military operation in history, and it has been a tremendous success“, Hegseth said.
The secretary stressed that the intelligence assessment in question is preliminary and not coordinated with all intelligence agencies community. He said other analyses were “more optimistic” about the results achieved.
Meanwhile, the Pentagon announced the launch of an investigation into the leak of a classified report from the Military Intelligence Agency. The document contains details about the extent of damage to Iranian nuclear facilities. The leak further increased disagreement over whether the US operation achieved its strategic objectives.