The Pentagon says that the US attack only delays Iran's nuclear programme by a few months

The Pentagon has indicated that the US attack on Iran's main nuclear facilities has only delayed the Islamic Republic's atomic programme by a few months. 

According to a preliminary report by the US Department of Defence's intelligence services leaked to the media, the destructive power of the US offensive was not as great as had been officially announced.

This contrasts with Donald Trump's triumphant speech over the weekend alluding to this attack, which, according to the US president, would have meant the ‘complete and total destruction’ of the facilities attacked, in this case those in Natanz, Isfahan and Fordow. Trump spoke of a ‘spectacular success’ after the attack on Iran's main nuclear facilities, but the report has lowered these expectations, according to various media outlets, including Reuters. 

This information comes shortly after Donald Trump himself announced a ceasefire between Israel and Iran. Both nations had exchanged serious attacks that had affected both countries on their own territory, a situation that also led to US intervention in favour of Israel and against the Islamic Republic, which responded with attacks on Monday against US bases in Qatar and Iraq. 

The escalation of tension was very high and a fragile ceasefire was finally reached, which was partially disrupted by an Iranian offensive denounced by Defence Minister Israel Katz, who ordered the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) to attack strategic targets in Iran in immediate response to the aggression carried out by the Persian country on Tuesday. Donald Trump himself called on both countries to stop the minor hostilities launched after the ceasefire agreed on Monday, stating that both nations were once again making a serious mistake. ‘They have no idea what they are doing,’ said the US president.

Therefore, it appears that the Iranian nuclear programme has only suffered a minor setback following the strong US attack which, according to President Donald Trump and other prominent figures such as Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, had supposedly eliminated the foundations of the Iranian nuclear programme. 

Donald Trump insisted that the attack was necessary to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon, something denied by the Islamic Republic. 

Herein lies the main issue to be assessed: the suspicions that have existed for decades about Iran's nuclear programme. The Ayatollah regime has insisted that it has no intention of developing nuclear weapons, although the West believes that Iran's atomic projects may have military applications. 

Recently, there were negotiations to resume the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which since 2015 had controlled Iran's atomic programme to ensure that it was for civilian use only and not for military purposes, in exchange for diplomatic and economic benefits for the Ayatollah regime. The United States, a signatory to the agreement along with Iran, China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, Germany and the European Union, withdrew from the plan in 2019 during the first term of Donald Trump's administration due to differences over Iran's true intentions. 

The breakdown of the agreement led to major tensions in the Middle East and sanctions against Iran, mainly affecting oil trade, the main source of Persian funding. This retaliation provoked an Iranian response with belligerent actions, particularly in relation to the Strait of Hormuz, the main passageway for international oil trade, which further heightened international tensions.

In recent years, there have been contacts to reformulate the agreement on Iran's nuclear programme, but no understanding has been reached and suspicions remain about the possible military use of nuclear developments carried out at facilities such as Natanz, Isfahan and Fordow.