Lawmakers Divided: Conflicting Assessments Emerge on Iran Nuclear Program After US Strikes
Lawmakers Divided: Conflicting Assessments Emerge on Iran Nuclear Program After US Strikes
Washington D.C. – A highly anticipated classified briefing on Thursday has left Democratic and Republican senators sharply divided over the true impact of recent U.S. strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities. While many Republicans assert the strikes have set back Iran’s nuclear program by years, Democrats express skepticism, with some suggesting the delay is merely a matter of months.
The divergence follows a preliminary U.S. intelligence assessment, described by multiple sources, indicating that the strikes did not destroy core components of Iran’s nuclear program and likely only delayed it by months. This early analysis stands in stark contrast to President Donald Trump’s repeated claims that the facilities were “completely and totally obliterated.”
Democratic Senator Chris Murphy of Connecticut voiced strong doubts, stating, “To me, it still appears that we have only set back the Iranian nuclear program by a handful of months… I just don’t think the president was telling the truth when he said the program was obliterated.” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer echoed this sentiment, accusing the White House of lacking a “coherent strategy” for preventing future Iranian nuclear weapon development.
Conversely, Republican senators largely lauded the effectiveness of the strikes. Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina asserted, “They were obliterated. Nobody can use them anytime soon.” Senator Tom Cotton, leading the Senate Intelligence Committee, was equally definitive, stating the strikes would “protect the world from the risk of an Iranian nuclear weapon for years” and that the mission was a “tremendous success.”
The classified briefing included top U.S. officials such as Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and CIA Director John Ratcliffe. Despite the officials presenting details of the preliminary intelligence assessment, the ongoing nature of the damage analysis means a final, comprehensive assessment could still be weeks away, leaving lawmakers with an incomplete picture as political tensions rise over the effectiveness and strategy of the U.S. intervention.
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