The Pentagon announced that recent US strikes on three major Iranian nuclear sites may have pushed back Tehran’s nuclear program by one to two years, according to reports.

During a press briefing on Wednesday, Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell confirmed the delay and explained that “we have degraded their program by one to two years,” based on assessments from inside the Defense Department.

Trump’s Claims Face Caution from Pentagon

Parnell also repeated Donald Trump’s claim that the strikes had “completely destroyed” Iran’s nuclear sites. However, he gave no further details about how those conclusions were reached.

At the same time, he offered a more cautious view than Trump. While Trump insisted on total destruction, Parnell noted only that the intel assessments point to a significant delay.

Earlier, the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) gave a different estimate. Its initial low-confidence report suggested the damage might delay the program by just a few months.

Intelligence Still Reviewing the Damage

Currently, US analysts are still reviewing evidence from the strike zones. Some findings indicate that centrifuges at Iran’s Fordow enrichment plant were destroyed. However, it remains unclear if the entire facility collapsed or suffered partial damage.

IAEA Warns of Iran’s Ability to Recover

Meanwhile, on Sunday, Rafael Grossi, who leads the UN’s International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), warned that Iran might restart uranium enrichment soon. He explained that “they can have in a matter of months... a few cascades of centrifuges spinning and producing enriched uranium.”

Grossi also stressed that Iran's nuclear expertise remains, adding that “this knowledge cannot simply be erased.”

DIA Report Offers Mixed Outcomes

According to The Guardian, a DIA report prepared just a day after the airstrikes outlined two possibilities. One scenario suggested Iran could restart Fordow quickly with new equipment. Another suggested Iran might abandon the site entirely.

Even now, US intelligence agencies are gathering more data to understand the full extent of the damage and Iran’s next move.