CIA director declares Iranian nuclear facilities 'destroyed,' disputes news reports

CIA Director John Ratcliffe declared Wednesday that key Iranian nuclear facilities were "destroyed" by U.S. bombs and will take years to rebuild, saying his agency's intelligence contradicts "illegally sourced public reporting" that suggested less severe damage.

President Donald Trump ordered the bombing and missile strikes on three critical nuclear facilities in Iran over the weekend aiming to disable the country's nuclear program. 

Ratcliffe said CIA data showed the facilities were "destroyed and would have to be rebuilt over the course of years," and were not merely damaged as other reports have indicated.

“CIA can confirm that a body of credible intelligence indicates Iran’s Nuclear Program has been severely damaged by the recent, targeted strikes," Ratcliffe said. "This includes new intelligence from a historically reliable and accurate source/method that several key Iranian nuclear facilities were destroyed and would have to be rebuilt over the course of years. 

"CIA continues to collect additional reliably sourced information to keep appropriate decision-makers and oversight bodies fully informed," he added."When possible, we will also provide updates and information to the American public, given the national importance of this matter and in every attempt to provide transparency.”

Trump administration officials are expected to meet with Iran next week, amid a ceasefire agreement that pauses a conflict between Israel and Iran. 

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.