When President Donald Trump announced that U.S. airstrikes had “completely obliterated” three of Iran’s nuclear facilities, it sounded like a major victory. But fresh satellite images are casting doubt on those claims, suggesting the damage might not be as extensive as he said. The strikes hit Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan on June 21, following Israel’s attacks on June 13 over fears that Iran was developing nuclear weapons.
On Truth Social, Trump warned Iran not to strike back and pushed for a deal with Israel. After Iran tried to attack a U.S. air base in Qatar on June 23—blocked by Qatari defenses—Trump called it a “very weak” response. He claimed a brief ceasefire was reached, but it collapsed when Iran reportedly fired missiles at Israel again. Now, experts are digging into whether the U.S. strikes really took out Iran’s nuclear capabilities, and the evidence is raising eyebrows.
Satellite images from Maxar Technologies show some craters at Fordow’s surface, but the underground facility looks mostly untouched. Dr. Jeffrey Lewis, a nuclear expert, told The Independent that Fordow’s deep design makes it hard to destroy, and Iran likely moved key equipment, like uranium or centrifuges, before the strikes hit. This suggests the U.S. didn’t reach Iran’s nuclear stockpile as planned.
Iran has about 400 kilograms of uranium enriched to 60%, close to weapons-grade level. Rafael Grossi of the International Atomic Energy Agency is trying to verify where this uranium is, but Vice President JD Vance admitted it’s currently unaccounted for. Some worry the strikes might motivate Iran to push its nuclear program harder. While Trump called the attacks a huge success, the images suggest only surface damage, leaving Iran’s nuclear facilities largely intact. As the dust settles, it’s clear this story is far from over, with big questions about what the strikes really achieved.
