Trump hails ‘monumental' damage as experts await verdict on Iran’s nuclear program

As the particulate inactive settles pursuing the U.S. onslaught connected Iran’s atomic sites, analysts accidental the adjacent steps volition find whether the Islamic Republic’s atomic ambitions person genuinely been crippled. 

Commenting connected the mission, President Donald Trump wrote connected Truth Social that: "The harm to the Nuclear sites successful Iran is said to beryllium "monumental." The hits were hard and accurate. Great accomplishment was shown by our military. Thank you!"

Also connected Sunday, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine told reporters, "Final conflict harm volition instrumentality immoderate time, but archetypal conflict harm assessments bespeak that each 3 sites sustained highly terrible harm and destruction." He added it was acold excessively aboriginal to remark "on what whitethorn oregon whitethorn not inactive beryllium there."

A elder Israeli information root told Fox News Digital, "It’s inactive excessively soon to cognize for sure, but it appears the sites were earnestly damaged — it looks excellent."

HERE’S WHAT A POST-AYATOLLAH IRAN COULD LOOK LIKE IF WAR WITH ISRAEL LEADS TO REGIME’S FALL

U.S. strikes 3 sites successful Iran (Fox News)

"History is being written," said Reserve Brig. Gen. Yossi Kuperwasser, caput of the Jerusalem Institute for Strategy and Security and a erstwhile IDF quality chief. "This is a almighty development that importantly weakens the Iranian menace and highlights the heavy practice betwixt Israel and the United States. But the travel is acold from over."

According to Kuperwasser, the strikes caused heavy damage to halfway parts of Iran’s atomic infrastructure. "But I don’t deliberation the programme is destroyed," helium told Fox News Digital. "They inactive person enriched uranium, the quality to nutrient centrifuges, and scientists. We killed many, but not all. And adjacent the bombed facilities — we don’t cognize for definite that thing remains."

Kuperwasser emphasized that portion Tehran whitethorn clasp immoderate atomic assets, a cardinal strategical threshold has present been crossed. "Until now, everything was covert: sabotage, diplomacy, sanctions. But now, subject enactment has proven acold much effective. If Iran tries to restart its program, they cognize we — and the Americans — are prepared to onslaught again."

Sima Shein, a erstwhile elder Mossad authoritative and Iran adept astatine Israel’s Institute for National Security Studies (INSS), agreed that Iran’s capabilities person been degraded, but not eliminated.

A representation shows the targets deed by American B2 stealth bombers during Operation Midnight Hammer. (Fox News)

"There’s nary uncertainty these were the 3 astir important sites," Shein told Fox News Digital, referring to the U.S. onslaught Saturday nighttime that deed Natanz, Isfahan, and Fordow, but claimed "Iran has dispersed its enriched uranium — some 60% and 20% — crossed assorted chartless locations. They’ve apt hidden precocious centrifuges arsenic well, due to the fact that accumulation oversight hasn’t existed for years."

She added that if a aboriginal diplomatic statement is reached, the archetypal information indispensable beryllium "full disclosure and removal" of each remaining fissile material.

EXPERT CONFIDENT IRAN'S NUCLEAR PROGRAM IS 'NO LONGER' AFTER MASSIVE US STRIKE

Mark Dubowitz, CEO of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), told Fox News Digital that each remaining Iranian atomic facilities indispensable beryllium wholly dismantled and referred to FDD expert's plan, which outlined a strategy for the imperishable dismantlement of Tehran’s atomic weapons enterprise. 

The report calls for the demolition of each enrichment sites, the removal oregon seizure of enriched uranium, the dismantling of precocious centrifuges, and a imperishable halt to weaponization efforts. It besides demands unrestricted inspections, irreversible disarmament, and strict enforcement done snapback sanctions. FDD argues that thing little would permission Iran susceptible of rebuilding its atomic program.

A representation shows wherever Iran's astir important atomic facilities are situated. (Fox News/FDD)

Amos Yadlin, a erstwhile caput of Israeli subject quality and president of the Mind Israel deliberation tank, called the American onslaught a "game-changer."

"Trump’s doctrine of ‘peace done strength’ is successful action," Yadlin said. "Geopolitically, this changes the full warfare — and sends a connection to China, Russia, and others."

But Yadlin besides believes Iran's atomic capabilities haven’t been wiped retired completely. "There are 2 imaginable Iranian responses: retaliation and changing atomic policy. Retaliation whitethorn travel via panic attacks successful the Gulf, oregon unit done proxies similar Hezbollah oregon the Houthis. But I deliberation the much apt displacement is successful atomic posture — possibly withdrawing from the NPT."

"They’re successful a dilemma," Shein told Fox News Digital. "They don’t privation to resistance the U.S. further into subject conflict, and they can’t hazard harming ties with Gulf neighbors. A subject retaliation — similar closing the Strait of Hormuz — would invitation overwhelming force. Expelling inspectors oregon quitting the NPT [Non-Proliferation Treaty] whitethorn beryllium their adjacent moves."

This outer representation provided by Maxar Technologies shows harm astatine the Fordow enrichment installation successful Iran aft U.S. strikes, Sunday, June 22, 2025. (Maxar Technologies via AP) (Maxar Technologies via AP)

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Kuperwasser added that subject unit unsocial whitethorn not bring lasting solution — unless paired with either a diplomatic statement with intrusive inspections, oregon a credible menace of continued strikes.

"If there’s an agreement, it indispensable beryllium based connected verification — not trust," helium said. "Anywhere, anytime inspections. But if they refuse, we tin proceed striking immoderate caller installation they build."

As Israel and the U.S. hole for imaginable cycles of effect and counter-response, Kuperwasser believes the Israeli nationalist is ready.

"These are historical times," helium said. "We recognize the sacrifice — and we’re acceptable to spot it through."