For the first time in 15 years, nuclear experts say Iran has no identifiable path to producing weapons-grade uranium at any of its known centrifuge plants � the result of a U.S. bombing campaign ordered by President Donald Trump this summer.
In a new assessment, David Albright, a former International Atomic Energy Agency inspector and founder of the Institute for Science and International Security, concluded that �Operation Midnight Hammer� � Trump�s June air campaign targeting Iran�s enrichment facilities � destroyed or disabled nearly 22,000 centrifuges across three sites, including the deeply buried Fordow plant.
�In essence, the attacks destroyed Iran�s gas centrifuge enrichment program,� Albright�s report states. �Iran has no identifiable route to produce weapon-grade uranium in its centrifuge plants.�
The strikes marked a turning point in a shadow war that has stretched across decades. For years, Israel lobbied Washington to hit Iran�s hardened facilities. Trump, fresh off his confrontation with Tehran following Israel�s 12-day war with Iran, finally authorized the use of 14 Massive Ordnance Penetrators � the Pentagon�s largest bunker-buster bombs � to take out sites U.S. intelligence judged were out of Israel�s reach.
Trump wasted no time in declaring victory, telling supporters Iran�s nuclear program had been �completely and totally obliterated.� Tuesday�s analysis gives his boast backing. But it also comes with a caveat: uncertainty.
Because Iran cut off cooperation with the IAEA in the wake of the bombings, outside experts have little visibility into the country�s stockpiles of enriched uranium or whether undisclosed centrifuges remain operable. �Calculating a breakout time would require unsubstantiated speculation,� Albright�s team cautioned, noting the possibility of centrifuges built but not yet deployed.
Administration officials seized on the report as validation nonetheless. �Your friendly reminder that Iran�s nuclear capabilities are OBLITERATED!� White House spokesperson Anna Kelly posted shortly after the findings were released.
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it�s always tempting to believe good news – technically known as �confirmation bias�. but in this case, there�s also the �small matter� of 450 kg of enriched uranium that are unaccounted for. they�re only at 60%, but that�s like being 1 yard from the goal line, where the goal is 11 nuclear bombs.