On Thursday, President Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth emphasized that Iran was unable to relocate its highly enriched uranium prior to the recent US airstrike on three nuclear sites.
Trump, aged 79, dismissed suggestions that Iran could have safeguarded its uranium before the attack, which occurred late last week. This came in response to satellite images showing trucks stationed near the Fordow facility.
He remarked, “The vehicles spotted were just concrete workers’ trucks trying to conceal the top of the shaft. Nothing was taken from the site,” in a message on his platform.
Hegseth added that moving the uranium would have been too cumbersome, asserting it was both too slow and risky. This echoed his earlier stance that the US acted swiftly enough for Iran not to prepare.
During a Pentagon press briefing, he also reiterated that the extent of damage from the US airstrike was significant and that there was no evidence of Tehran relocating uranium before it occurred.
“I’m not sure about the intelligence I reviewed. Things are either moving or they aren’t,” Hegseth stated during a combat briefing, emphasizing the Pentagon’s comprehensive oversight of intelligence.
The Pentagon showcased dramatic footage of the heavy-duty bunker buster bomb, weighing 30,000 pounds, utilized in the strikes against Iran.
Hegseth, alongside Chief of Staff Dan Kane, criticized certain media outlets for minimizing the success of the strike. Trump had previously claimed that the attack had effectively dismantled Iran’s nuclear ambitions.
Hegseth dismissed preliminary assessments from the Defense Intelligence Agency, which suggested that the strikes might only delay Iran’s capabilities for a few months.
“Call it destroyed, call it defeated, call it erased—it’s your choice. This has been a historically successful operation,” Hegseth asserted.
He challenged the leaked DIA assessment reported by CNN and the New York Times, suggesting it undermined the administration’s achievements.
“It’s in your nature, your blood. You don’t want to cheer for Trump, and it distorts the narrative,” Hegseth remarked.
He concluded, stressing, “There are countless elements to the bravery of our men and women… it gets overshadowed by the animosity of this press corps.”
