Amid reports that the United States strikes on Iran's nuclear sites had caused minimal damage, the Central Intelligence Agency, citing a "body of credible intelligence", said that the strikes by the US had "severely damaged" Tehran's key nuclear facilities and that it would take years to rebuild those structures.
In an official statement, the CIA Director John Ratcliffe, said, "CIA can confirm that a body of credible intelligence indicates Iran's Nuclear Program has been severely damaged by the recent, targeted strikes. This includes new intelligence from a historically reliable and accurate source/method that several key Iranian nuclear facilities were destroyed and would have to be rebuilt over the course of years."
He added that the CIA continues to gather intelligence and keep decision-makers and oversight bodies informed, promising that updates would be shared with the public when possible due to the national significance of the matter.
"CIA continues to collect additional reliably sourced information to keep appropriate decision-makers and oversight bodies fully informed. When possible, we will also provide updates and information to the American public, given the national importance of this matter and in every attempt to provide transparency," the statement added.
The CIA's confirmation comes amid reports claiming that the US strikes did not destroy nuclear sites in Iran as claimed by President Donald Trump or his administration.
The findings, first reported by CNN, citing seven individuals briefed on the assessments, noted that the early evaluation from the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) suggested that the attacks only caused a temporary disruption, possibly setting Tehran's nuclear program back by a few months.
Meanwhile, Trump on Wednesday claimed that American and Iranian officials would hold talks next week, raising hopes of longer-term peace following a fragile ceasefire, even as Tehran insisted it would not abandon its nuclear ambitions, The Times of Israel reported.
Trump, speaking at the NATO Heads of State and Government summit in The Hague, said he wasn't particularly interested in restarting negotiations with Iran, asserting that US strikes had "destroyed" Iran's nuclear program. "We may sign an agreement, I don't know. To me, I don't think it's that necessary," Trump said. "The way I look at it, they fought, the war is done."
However, Iran has not acknowledged any upcoming talks.
An Iranian official questioned the credibility of the US after its strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities over the weekend.
The Iranian parliament also moved to fast-track legislation that would halt cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency, The Times of Israel noted.
Earlier, Trump described the ceasefire as "going very well," asserting that Iran would neither possess a nuclear bomb nor continue enrichment.
"We destroyed the nuclear," he claimed. "It's blown up, to Kingdom Come... We're gonna meet with them actually." Trump also said he had asked US Secretary of State Marco Rubio to draft an agreement for Iran to sign.
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