Israel–Iran Conflict

Pentagon Assesses Iran Nuclear Program Set Back ‘1 to 2 Years’

‘Certainly all of the intelligence that we’ve seen suggests … those facilities were completely obliterated,’ Defense Department spokesperson Sean Parnell said.
Pentagon Assesses Iran Nuclear Program Set Back ‘1 to 2 Years’
A satellite view shows an overview of Fordow underground complex, after the U.S. struck the nuclear facility, near Qom, Iran, on June 22, 2025. Maxar Technologies/Handout via Reuters
Andrew Thornebrooke
Andrew Thornebrooke
National Security Correspondent
|Updated:
0:00

The Pentagon believes that American and Israeli strikes against Iran’s nuclear facilities have delayed Tehran’s nuclear program by as much as two years.

Speaking to reporters at the Pentagon on July 2, Department of Defense spokesperson Sean Parnell said that U.S. and Israeli strikes had severely degraded Iran’s capability to pursue a nuclear weapon if it chose to do so.

Andrew Thornebrooke
Andrew Thornebrooke
National Security Correspondent
Andrew Thornebrooke is a national security correspondent for The Epoch Times covering China-related issues with a focus on defense, military affairs, and national security. He holds a master's in military history from Norwich University.
twitter