Trump slams US media over leaked Iran strike intel report

Former President Donald Trump has responded to reports about a leaked intelligence assessment on the recent US strike on Iran.

Posting on Truth Social, Trump criticized the US media and their coverage, saying:

“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 TIIMES AND CNN ARE GETTING SLAMMED BY THE PUBLIC!”

The Trump administration continues to push back on a preliminary U.S. intelligence report suggesting the strikes did not eliminate Iran’s nuclear program.

A classified preliminary US intelligence assessment reportedly concluded that the strikes set back Tehran’s nuclear efforts by only a few months — falling short of President Trump’s claim that the program was destroyed.

According to US media reports on Tuesday, sources familiar with the Defense Intelligence Agency's findings said the weekend strikes failed to destroy Iran’s centrifuges or stockpiles of enriched uranium.

The strikes reportedly sealed off entrances to some facilities but did not destroy underground structures, the assessment said.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed the authenticity of the report but insisted it was "flat-out wrong" and criticized its leaking, noting that the assessment had been classified as “top secret.”

“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,” Leavitt posted on X.

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

Source: BBC live updates, AFP