The United States carried out airstrikes on three key Iranian nuclear facilities, including the heavily fortified Fordow complex, in an operation dubbed “Operation Midnight Hammer”. President Donald Trump announced the strikes, claiming they were a “spectacular military success” that had “completely and totally obliterated” Iran’s nuclear enrichment facilities.

However, experts’ assessments contradict Trump’s claims, suggesting that while the outer parts of the Fordow facility were damaged, its interior and centrifuges may not have been severely compromised. “If you don’t get Fordow, you haven’t eliminated their ability to produce weapons-grade material,” said Brett McGurk, former US coordinator for the Middle East.

The experts also speculate that Iran might have removed its stockpile of enriched uranium from the Fordow facility before the strike. Estimates put the consignment at 400 kilogrammes of uranium enriched to 60% purity, enough to make a “dirty bomb” and just one step away from the 90% threshold needed for a nuclear weapon.

In response to the experts’ assessments, Trump accused the media and experts of being “fake” and “mischievous” in their attempts to discredit the military feat. “The strikes were a spectacular military success,” Trump declared. “Iran’s key nuclear enrichment facilities have been completely and totally obliterated.”

However, the Pentagon disagreed with Trump’s assessment, saying there was no evidence that the strikes destroyed their targets. American intelligence officials estimate that the strikes could only set back Iran’s nuclear program by three months.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hailed the strike, saying it had helped remove an imminent existential threat to Israel. The US military used B-2 stealth bombers and Massive Ordnance Penetrators (MOPs), the biggest non-nuclear bomb in its arsenal, in the operation.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reported no increase in off-site radiation levels at the targeted facilities, suggesting that any radioactive materials present at the sites remained contained.