The US air strikes on Iran signify more than just bombs—the story of regional stability hangs in the balance.
At a Glance
- The Pentagon says that recent U.S. air strikes have set back Iran’s nuclear program by “one to two years.”
- President Trump has more forcefully claimed the strikes “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear facilities.
- The administration has reiterated its hardline stance, ruling out any negotiations or financial incentives for Iran.
- The head of the UN’s nuclear watchdog has warned that Iran’s nuclear knowledge cannot be destroyed and that they could rebuild quickly.
Pentagon: Strikes Set Back Iran’s Nuclear Program by “One to Two Years”
The Pentagon has delivered its official assessment of the recent U.S. military strikes against Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, concluding that the operation has successfully set back Tehran’s nuclear ambitions by at least one to two years. The announcement, made by chief Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell on Wednesday, July 2, 2025, provides the first official damage assessment since the strikes occurred.
“We have degraded their program by one to two years,” Parnell stated at a press briefing, according to Euronews. “All of the intelligence that we’ve seen led us to believe that Iran’s [facilities] have been completely obliterated.”
A Decisive Blow
President Donald Trump has offered an even more forceful assessment of the operation’s success, stating that Iran’s nuclear sites were “obliterated like nobody’s ever seen before,” as reported by Al Jazeera. This confident stance is part of the administration’s broader “peace through strength” strategy. Following the strikes, President Trump made it unequivocally clear that the U.S. would not be offering any financial incentives or returning to the negotiating table with the Iranian regime.
US President Donald Trump said Iran’s nuclear programme had been “obliterated like nobody’s ever seen before" by Israeli and US strikes earlier this month, and warned that America would strike without question again if Tehran tries to create nuclear weapons.#Trump #DonaldTrump… pic.twitter.com/DN9Rq9RUB5
— CNBC-TV18 (@CNBCTV18News) June 30, 2025
The hardline position is a stark rejection of the Obama-era nuclear deal, the JCPOA, which the Trump administration has consistently criticized for failing to permanently address the threats from Iran’s nuclear program, its ballistic missiles, and its support for regional terrorism.
A Cautious Reality Check
Despite the administration’s confident assessment, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has offered a sober reality check. IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi warned that while facilities can be destroyed, Iran’s nuclear knowledge cannot be bombed away.
“They can have, in a matter of months, I would say, a few cascades of centrifuges spinning and producing enriched uranium,” Grossi told The Guardian. “Iran is a very sophisticated country in terms of nuclear technology … You cannot undo the knowledge that you have or the capacities that you have.” His comments underscore the immense challenge of permanently neutralizing a determined nation’s nuclear ambitions.
