Leaked Intelligence Report Casts Doubt — Trump Team Fires Back
A newly leaked intelligence report is causing a media firestorm, casting doubt on President Donald Trump’s strong claim that recent U.S. airstrikes wiped out three key Iranian nuclear facilities. The report, reportedly compiled by the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), suggests that the mission may have only delayed Iran’s nuclear ambitions by several months.
The leak comes just days after Trump authorized decisive military action in response to escalating threats from Iran and growing instability in the Middle East. In a nationally televised address, President Trump declared the targets had been “completely and totally obliterated.”
Now, mainstream outlets like CNN and The New York Times are using the leaked document to question Trump’s success, sparking new controversy in Washington.
White House Responds to Media Narrative
Trump administration officials are pushing back hard, noting the leaked report was labeled “low confidence”—a common term used in early assessments based on limited information. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth emphasized that the operation’s true impact will take time to assess and warned against rushing to conclusions based on incomplete data.
“This is classic media spin,” one senior administration source said. “They’re using a preliminary assessment to attack the President’s leadership and undermine a major success for national security.”
Experts Agree: Final Assessment Still Pending
National security analysts say the full picture is still developing. Dan Shapiro, a former U.S. ambassador to Israel and current senior fellow at the Atlantic Council, explained that serious damage likely occurred but proving that takes time and multiple intelligence sources.
“You need satellite imagery, human intelligence, signals intelligence, and possibly even physical inspections,” Shapiro told Fox News Digital. “That takes days or weeks—not hours.”
Gen. Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said early indicators show “extremely severe damage” at all three sites. However, he acknowledged that a comprehensive evaluation is still underway.
Underground Targets Complicate Intelligence
Retired Rear Adm. Mark Montgomery, now a senior fellow at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies, said the “low confidence” label simply means analysts don’t yet have all the facts.
“Initial reports like this are always cautious,” Montgomery explained. “That’s how intelligence works.”
Rob Greenway, a former top national security advisor under Trump, added that the airstrikes targeted deep underground structures—making visual damage assessments more difficult.
“When you’re hitting subterranean facilities with 30,000-pound bunker busters, you can’t always measure results immediately,” said Greenway, now with The Heritage Foundation.
Still, Greenway remains confident the strikes were effective.
“We dropped more than double the required ordnance,” he said. “The facilities are likely compromised beyond use, meaning Iran’s nuclear program just took a major hit.”
Leakers Under Federal Investigation
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed that an FBI investigation is underway to determine who leaked the classified report to the press.
“This was a serious breach of national security,” Leavitt said. “Only a handful of people had access, and those responsible will be held accountable.”
She added that the Trump administration is working to strengthen internal protocols to prevent further leaks.
Conservatives See Familiar Pattern
Many conservatives view this episode as another example of the media rushing to discredit President Trump—just as his decisive leadership shows results on the world stage.
Michael Allen, a former National Security Council director under President George W. Bush, noted that intelligence from the field is still being collected and that the picture will become clearer soon.
“We’re getting updates in real-time,” Allen said. “A more complete assessment will be available in the coming days.”
For now, supporters argue that President Trump took bold, calculated action to protect America and its allies—and that the mainstream media is once again jumping the gun.
