WASHINGTON: The Pentagon stated on Wednesday (Jul 2) that United States strikes 10 days in the past had degraded Iran’s nuclear programme by as much as two years, suggesting the US navy operation doubtless achieved its targets regardless of a much more cautious preliminary evaluation that leaked to the general public.
Sean Parnell, a Pentagon spokesman, supplied the determine at a briefing to reporters, including that the official estimate was “in all probability nearer to 2 years”. Parnell didn’t present proof to again up his evaluation.
“We’ve degraded their programme by one to 2 years, at the least intel assessments contained in the Division (of Protection) assess that,” Parnell advised a information briefing.
US navy bombers carried out strikes in opposition to three Iranian nuclear services on Jun 22 utilizing greater than a dozen 13,600-kg bunker-buster bombs and greater than two dozen Tomahawk land assault cruise missiles.
The evolving US intelligence concerning the impression of the strikes is being intently watched, after President Donald Trump stated nearly instantly after they occurred that Iran’s programme had been obliterated, language echoed by Parnell at Wednesday’s briefing.
Such conclusions typically take the US intelligence group weeks or extra to find out.
“All the intelligence that we have seen (has) led us to consider that Iran’s – these services particularly, have been fully obliterated,” Parnell stated.
