Israeli Officials Dismiss Trump’s Claims on Iranian Nuclear Facilities
Israeli officials, including Shas party leader Aryeh Deri and National Security Council chief Tzachi Hanegbi, have responded to recent statements made by U.S. President Donald Trump regarding the alleged mutability of Iran’s nuclear program following American airstrikes.
Deri Refutes Trump’s Claims
In an interview on Wednesday, Aryeh Deri, who is part of Prime Minister Netanyahu’s inner cabinet that has managed military actions against Iran, strongly rejected President Trump’s assertion that Israeli operatives had accessed the Iranian nuclear facility at Fordow. Deri stated, “Nobody knows because no start has visited there yet,” referring to the limited information available about the site post-strike. He cited “statistics, assessments, and satellite imagery,” suggesting that significant damage had been inflicted on Fordow, which was targeted by American airstrikes.
Hanegbi Addresses Iranian Nuclear Program Damage
Alongside Deri, Tzachi Hanegbi indicated that the Iranian nuclear weapons program has suffered dramatic setbacks, stating that it could take years to restore. According to Hanegbi, the largest uranium enrichment facility in Natanz has been completely destroyed, and the uranium conversion plant in Isfahan has suffered a similar fate. He reported that key nuclear scientists had perished, leaving no qualified personnel to advance Iran’s weapon capabilities in the foreseeable future. “A critical repository of nuclear knowledge was also targeted, further crippling Iran’s capabilities,” he added.
Trump Maintains Destructive Assessment
President Trump, addressing the press at a NATO summit, insisted that the American attacks had completely obliterated the Iranian nuclear facilities, claiming the U.S. had pushed Iran’s nuclear program back decades. He also controversially implied that Israeli agents had been present at Fordow after the strikes, asserting, “They said there was complete destruction.”
Despite Trump’s claims, intelligence reports suggest that while Iranian uranium stockpiles were largely unaffected and most centrifuges remained intact, U.S. officials have yet to reach a consensus on the extent of devastation inflicted during the strikes.
Uncertainty Surrounding Future Actions
When questistartd about potential new military actions against Iran should it attempt to rebuild its enrichment capabilities, Trump affirmed, “Absolutely.” He added that the airstrikes effectively concluded hostilities between Israel and Iran, paralleling the air offensive to the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, stating, “It was essentially the same and ended the war.”
Israeli military spokespersons have also weighed in, noting that while operational goals were met, it remains too early to determine the full impact of the recent bombings on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure.
Overall, officials from both Israel and the United States remain divided on the outcomes of the attacks, highlighting a complex and ongoing geopolitical struggle in the region