Donald Trump Slams Reports on Iran Strikes as ‘Fake News,’ Claims Nuclear Sites ‘Completely Destroyed’

Washington D.C.: U.S. President Donald Trump has forcefully rejected media reports that question the effectiveness of recent U.S. airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. In a post on his platform, Truth Social, Trump labeled the coverage as “FAKE NEWS,” and insisted that the targeted nuclear sites in Iran were “completely destroyed,” directly contradicting early intelligence findings that suggest the strikes may have only delayed Iran’s nuclear ambitions by several months.

“Fake news CNN, together with the failing New York Times, have teamed up in an attempt to demean one of the most successful military strikes in history. The nuclear sites in Iran are completely destroyed! Both The Times and CNN are getting slammed by the public!” Trump wrote in his post.

The remarks came after a joint media investigation, citing anonymous intelligence officials, reported that the U.S. airstrikes on June 22 caused significant—but not total—damage to nuclear sites in Fordo, Natanz, and Isfahan. According to the report, Iran’s core nuclear infrastructure remains largely intact, and while the strikes inflicted heavy damage, they did not eliminate the country’s ability to continue enriching uranium.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt also issued a stern rebuttal to the claims, calling the media report “flat-out wrong.”

“The leaking of this alleged assessment is a clear attempt to demean President Trump, and discredit the brave fighter pilots who conducted a perfectly executed mission to obliterate Iran’s nuclear program,” she said in an official statement.

“Everyone knows what happens when you drop fourteen 30,000-pound bombs perfectly on their targets: total obliteration.”

Despite these public assertions, two individuals familiar with the classified assessment told the Associated Press that some of Iran’s highly enriched uranium was relocated ahead of the strikes and survived. The report also found that Iran’s centrifuges—crucial for uranium enrichment—remained mostly undamaged.

At the Fordo enrichment plant, while the entrance collapsed and some above-ground infrastructure was damaged, the deeply buried core systems reportedly survived. One of the sources noted that previous intelligence assessments had already warned that the underground structure at Fordo would likely remain intact even after a direct hit.