The “bunker busting” bombs released on Iranian nuclear sites by U.S. forces last month have set back Tehran’s atomic program by up to two years, the Pentagon confirmed on Wednesday.
“We have hindered their program by one to two years, according to assessments from the Department of Defense’s intelligence,” Defense Department spokesman Sean Parnell informed reporters.
“We believe that Iran’s nuclear capability has been significantly diminished, possibly affecting even their aspirations to develop a bomb,” he remarked. However, security experts have indicated to Fox News Digital that Tehran’s resolve to pursue nuclear weapons is unlikely to be deterred.
This satellite image provided by Maxar Technologies shows damage at the Fordow enrichment facility in Iran after U.S. strikes, Sunday, June 22, 2025. (Maxar Technologies via AP)
The U.S. has fervently denied that any intelligence suggests Iran was successful in moving its nuclear capabilities off site. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth became angry when asked about the possibility by reporters.
Fox News Digital has confirmed that Israel is continuing to monitor the security situation.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi this week acknowledged that there was severe damage to the Fordow facility, though he also insisted that “the technology and knowhow is still there.”
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi attends a joint press conference with Russia’s foreign minister in Moscow on April 18, 2025. (Getty Images)
“No one exactly knows what has transpired in Fordow. That being said, what we know so far is that the facilities have been seriously and heavily damaged,” Aragchi said during a CBS interview this week.
Though according to Parnell on Wednesday, “All of the intelligence that we’ve seen (has) led us to believe that Iran’s – those facilities especially, have been completely obliterated.”
