Pentagon Says US Strikes Degraded Iran's Nuclear Program, Setting It Back By 2 Years

US joined the Iran-Israel conflict bombing Iran nuclear facilities on June 21. The hostilities between the two West Asian nations began after Israel launched a preemptive strike on June 13 under its military operation named Operation Rising Lion. Iran retaliated by launching its own military response, which included drone and missile strikes against Israeli targets.

Pentagon. (Photo: Xinhua/IANS)

US strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities have degraded Tehran's nuclear programme and set it back by at least two years, the Pentagon said on Wednesday.

"We have degraded their program by one to two years at least," ANI reported, quoting Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell. Parnell added, "We're thinking probably closer to two years."

The statement comes after the US attack on Iran's nuclear facilities, including Isfahan, Fordo and Natanz, during the 12-day conflict between Iran and Israel. The operation involved more than 125 US aircraft - including B-2 stealth bombers, fighter jets and air tankers. In parallel, a US guided missile submarine fired Tomahawk cruise missiles at a third facility. According to Parnell, "those facilities especially have been completely obliterated."

However, scepticism remains. Over the weekend, Rafael Grossi, head of the UN's International Atomic Energy Agency, warned that Iran could resume enriched uranium production within months. Nuclear experts have also speculated that Iran may have removed some of its highly enriched uranium from the Fordow site prior to the strikes. US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has said there's no intelligence confirming that.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi acknowledged severe damage to the Fordow facility, though he insisted that "the technology and know-how is still there."

Israel launched preemptive strikes against Iranian nuclear sites on June 13, citing intelligence that Tehran had reached "a point of no return" in its pursuit of nuclear weapons. According to Israeli defence officials, Iran has developed the capacity to rapidly enrich uranium and assemble nuclear bombs, with sufficient fissile material for up to 15 weapons.

Israeli intelligence also exposed a covert program to complete all components of a nuclear device. The strikes marked a dramatic escalation in what officials describe as a broader Iranian strategy combining nuclear development, missile proliferation, and proxy warfare aimed at Israel's destruction.

A US-brokered ceasefire went into effect on June 24. During 12 days of fighting, Iranian missile strikes killed 28 Israelis and injured over 3,000. 

(With ANI Inputs)