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In remarks that have sparked considerable controversy, former US President Donald Trump likened the American strike on Iranian nuclear facilities to the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki during World War II. These comments came as Trump dismissed preliminary assessments from US intelligence agencies, which suggested the attack had a “limited effect.”
Speaking at a NATO summit in The Hague, Trump claimed that last weekend’s attack “completely destroyed” Iranian nuclear facilities, describing it as having swiftly ended the Israeli-Iranian conflict, akin to the atomic bomb dropped on Japan in 1945.
“I didn’t want to use Hiroshima and Nagasaki as an example, but that’s the essence of it – that bomb ended the war, and this ended the war between Israel and Iran. If the nuclear facilities hadn’t been destroyed, the two sides would still be at war now,” Trump said.
Trump dismissed a “leaked” intelligence report on Tuesday as “inconclusive,” which claimed that the US strike only delayed Iran’s nuclear program by several months. He added that the extent of the damage to Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan would have to await Israeli assessment. “The US Defense Intelligence Agency, which is responsible for the Fordow report, doesn’t actually know the extent of the damage, and Israel will tell us soon,” he said.
IDF spokesman Effie Defrin reported on Wednesday: “I can state here that assessments show that we have severely damaged the nuclear program, setting it back years.”
Trump, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio have insisted that Fordow was “completely destroyed,” with Trump saying the Iranian nuclear program was “set back decades.”
However, US Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Dan Caine was more cautious last Sunday, saying that initial assessments showed the three sites had “suffered extremely serious damage” and that the final assessment “will take some time.” Hegseth revealed that the Pentagon is working with the FBI to investigate the intelligence leak.
A day before Trump attended the NATO summit, Iran and Israel reached a temporary ceasefire after 12 days of war. He previously criticized both sides on Tuesday for violating the US-brokered ceasefire agreement, expressing “extreme dissatisfaction” with Israel in particular, but shifted in The Hague to say he was “proud of Israel” and believed Netanyahu “should be proud.”
Trump also said he believed the US attack last weekend destroyed 60% of Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile: “They don’t have a chance to move the material, these types of materials are extremely difficult to remove.”
Asked whether he would strike again if Iran rebuilt its nuclear facilities, Trump said: “Of course.” He stated his belief that Iran would not try to rebuild its nuclear facilities, but would instead seek reconciliation through diplomatic channels.
If Iran tried to rebuild its nuclear program, he said, “We’re not going to let that happen. First, militarily, we’re not going to,” adding: “I think we’ll eventually have some kind of relationship with Iran to ensure that.”
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