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Iran confirms nuclear sites damaged as Trump promises a meeting ‘next week’
What we're covering
• Trump weighs in on intel: President Donald Trump disputed an early US intelligence report on the effectiveness of the US strikes on Iran over the weekend. He also said the US will meet with Iran “next week.”
• Impacts on Iran’s nuclear sites: An Iranian official said the country’s nuclear installations were “badly damaged” following “repeated attacks” by Israel and the US. Additionally, an early US intelligence assessment found the US’s weekend strikes on three nuclear sites did not destroy the core components of Iran’s nuclear program and likely only set it back by months, according to sources briefed on the report.
• Truce holding: A ceasefire between Iran and Israel appears to be holding Thursday, despite both sides accusing the other of violating the truce in the hours immediately after it was announced.
Why Trump’s strikes on Iran will leave North Korea more determined than ever to keep its nukes
As American B-2 bombers streaked over Iran, targeting facilities tied to Tehran’s nuclear ambitions, policymakers and analysts in East Asia were already grappling with a critical question: What signal does this send to North Korea, a country whose nuclear arsenal is far more advanced than Iran’s?
Experts warn Washington’s military actions may harden Pyongyang’s resolve to accelerate its weapons program and deepen cooperation with Russia, as well as reinforcing its leader Kim Jong Un’s belief that nuclear arms are the ultimate deterrent against US-enforced regime change.
Despite yearslong efforts to persuade North Korea to abandon its nuclear weapons program, the Kim regime is thought to possess multiple nuclear weapons, as well as missiles that can potentially reach the United States – meaning any potential military strike on the Korean Peninsula would carry vastly higher risks.
“President Trump’s strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities will undoubtedly further reinforce the legitimacy of North Korea’s longstanding policy of regime survival and nuclear weapons development,” said Lim Eul-chul, a professor of North Korean studies at South Korea’s Kyungnam University.
“North Korea perceives the recent US airstrike as a preemptive military threat and will likely accelerate efforts to enhance its own capability for preemptive nuclear missile attacks,” said Lim.
That acceleration, analysts caution, could come through Russian assistance, thanks to a blossoming military relationship the two neighbors have struck up in the wake of Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.
Read more here.
US Senate classified briefing on Iran set for Thursday afternoon, source says
The all-Senate classified briefing on the situation in Iran has been scheduled for 2 p.m. ET Thursday, after being rescheduled from earlier in the week, according to a source familiar with the matter.
The Trump administration has faced criticism from top Democrats on the House and Senate Intelligence Committees, who have expressed frustration at the lack of communication about the US strikes in Iran. Some have warned the administration against manipulating facts ahead of the briefings.
The House is expected to be briefed on Friday.
White House will limit classified information shared with Congress
The Trump administration will limit its sharing of classified information with Congress after CNN reported on an early US intelligence assessment suggesting strikes on Iran did not destroy nuclear sites.
A senior White House official told CNN the administration believes the early Defense Intelligence Agency report was leaked after the assessment was posted to CAPNET — a system used for sharing classified intelligence with Congress — Monday night and therefore will be sharing less on the system. The administration said it’s also conducting a leak investigation.
Axios was first to report the details of the administration’s decision to limit intelligence shared with Congress.
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine and CIA Director John Ratcliffe will brief the Senate on Iran Thursday, the official told CNN.
CIA obtained "credible evidence" indicating Iran's nuclear program was "severely damaged," director says
CIA Director John Ratcliffe on Wednesday issued a statement saying that the agency had obtained “a body of credible evidence (that) indicates Iran’s Nuclear Program has been severely damaged by the recent, targeted strikes.”
The statement comes a day after CNN and other outlets reported a preliminary Defense Intelligence Agency analysis, produced roughly 24 hours after the strikes, that found that the US bombing likely only set Iran’s ability to produce a nuclear weapon back by a matter of months.
The White House has pushed back on that assessment, calling it “wrong.” President Donald Trump has said that the strikes “obliterated” Iran’s ability to produce a weapon.
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard also posted on X on Wednesday that “new intelligence” supported the notion that Iran’s nuclear facilities were “destroyed” in the strikes.
Hegseth will hold a news conference Thursday, Trump says
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth will hold a news conference at 8 a.m. ET Thursday at the Pentagon, US President Donald Trump announced on social media.
“The News Conference will prove both interesting and irrefutable. Enjoy!” he added.
