On Tuesday, several U.S. outlets, including CNN and CBS News, reported that an initial evaluation by the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) indicated the strikes set Iran’s nuclear progress back by only a few months. The report, still classified as “top secret,” was reportedly leaked by an anonymous intelligence source.
In a post on social media, Leavitt pushed back forcefully against the report, calling it “flat-out wrong.” She referred to the unnamed leaker as a “low-level loser in the intelligence community,” and framed the leak as a political attempt to undermine former President Donald Trump and the military’s actions.
“The leaking of this alleged assessment is a clear attempt to demean President Trump, and discredit the brave fighter pilots who conducted a perfectly executed mission to obliterate Iran’s nuclear program,” she wrote.
Leavitt also insisted the scale of the operation left no room for ambiguity. “Everyone knows what happens when you drop fourteen 30,000-pound bombs perfectly on their targets: total obliteration,” she added.
However, CBS News reported that a source familiar with the DIA’s findings confirmed that the Fordo nuclear facility — one of the targets — sustained structural damage, but that its critical uranium enrichment infrastructure, buried deeper underground, remained largely intact. According to the source, the facility’s entrances were caved in, but the core components of Iran’s enrichment operations survived, thus only delaying — rather than destroying — Iran’s nuclear capabilities.
The same source also disputed the White House’s dismissal of the report’s quality, explaining that such preliminary intelligence assessments often prove accurate over time.
The controversy arrives amid rising political tension in Washington over the legality and consequences of the strike. President Trump authorized the operation without congressional approval, sparking bipartisan concern and calls for oversight.
In response to mounting criticism, the White House has now scheduled a classified briefing for Congress on Friday. House Speaker Mike Johnson confirmed the session in a post on X, stating that senior administration officials would present lawmakers with updates related to the Iran-Israel situation and details about the recent military operation.
The announcement followed the abrupt cancellation of a previously scheduled Senate briefing on Tuesday, a move that provoked sharp criticism from Democratic lawmakers. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called the cancellation “outrageous,” “evasive,” and “derelict.”
While many Republicans have backed Trump’s actions, citing past presidents who engaged in military operations without prior congressional authorization, a few GOP members have expressed concern over the legality of launching strikes without legislative input.
As the situation develops, the Biden administration and congressional leaders will likely face continued pressure to clarify both the strategic impact of the strikes and the legal grounds for the mission.
