Intercepted communications indicate that Iranian military officials have misrepresented the scale of damage inflicted during recent joint US-Israeli airstrikes, downplaying the extent to the country’s political leadership, according to a report by Axios. An Israeli official told the outlet that the Iranian regime itself may still be unaware of the full scope of the losses to its nuclear infrastructure.
The airstrikes, launched under the directive of President Donald Trump, targeted nuclear sites in Natanz, Fordow, and Isfahan. Israeli intelligence sources say the damage to these facilities is "very significant," though final assessments are still underway.
An Israeli official familiar with the intelligence said the above-ground enrichment facility at Natanz was destroyed, with indications that its underground infrastructure may also have collapsed. At Fordow, the deployment of 30,000-pound bunker-buster bombs caused substantial damage, though whether the underground sections were fully compromised remains uncertain. In Isfahan, the uranium reprocessing plant and key tunnel networks were also struck.
"We doubt that these facilities can be activated any time in the near future," one Israeli official told Axios.
According to the report, Israeli officials also assert that the operation dealt a longer-term blow to Iran's nuclear ambitions. Dozens of nuclear scientists were reportedly assassinated, and critical centrifuge production lines and research labs were destroyed, significantly hampering Iran's capacity to recover.
The Axios report contrasts sharply with a leaked preliminary assessment from the US Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), which suggested the damage may only delay Iran's program by a few months. The White House dismissed that assessment as "fake news," with President Trump describing the findings as "inconclusive" and emphasizing that a full assessment from Israeli intelligence is forthcoming.
"A professional battle damage assessment takes time," one Israeli official noted, rejecting the notion that early intelligence could offer definitive conclusions.
White House envoy Steve Witkoff criticized the leak, calling it "treasonous," and insisted that the strike on Fordow had effectively "obliterated" the site.
Israeli officials maintain that the cumulative impact of the strikes has significantly degraded both the immediate and long-term capabilities of Iran's nuclear program.