Report: US Destroyed Only One of Three Iran Nuclear Sites

A new US assessment of damage inflicted on nuclear enrichment sites in Iran concludes that only one of three was put out of commission for the long term, reports NBC News. The other two could conceivably be operating again in a matter of months. NBC's report is based on interviews with five current and former US officials familiar with the assessment.

• The intelligence review found that American airstrikes did substantial damage to the Fordo nuclear site, meaning it could be years before it's operating again, per NBC. The other two sites, Natanz and Isfahan, sustained less severe damage.

• The White House contested NBC's reporting. "As the president has said and experts have verified, Operation Midnight Hammer totally obliterated Iran's nuclear capabilities," spokeswoman Anna Kelly tells NBC in a statement. "America and the world are safer, thanks to his decisive action."
• Plans for a broader, weeks-long strike campaign targeting six sites were considered but ultimately rejected by President Trump, who opted for a limited operation to avoid deepening US military involvement and risking high casualties, per NBC.
• Fox News, meanwhile, reports that if Iran does not agree to a nuclear deal with the US by the end of August, sanctions previously lifted by the UN Security Council will go back into effect.