Iran’s Nuclear Facilities ‘Severely Damaged’ by U.S. Strikes: Pentagon

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth stated that all three of Iran’s targeted nuclear facilities have been ‘severely damaged’ by recent U.S. airstrikes. Speaking to reporters on Sunday (June 22), Hegseth made the comments in response to a question.On Saturday, U.S. warplanes bombed three Iranian nuclear facilities: Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan, according to a report by British media outlet BBC.Earlier, President Donald Trump had urged Iran to “establish peace,” warning that otherwise, the country would face even “more devastating” attacks in the future.In response to the strikes, Iran has issued a warning of ‘permanent consequences’ and accused Trump of “betrayal.”When asked whether he was concerned about how U.S. allies would react to the attacks, Hegseth replied that the U.S. understands the challenges its regional partners face.> “We are working with them with respect and through cooperation,” he said.When questioned about U.S.-Iran communications and the possibility of a diplomatic solution still existing, Hegseth replied:> “Washington has repeatedly urged Tehran to return to the negotiating table. They know very clearly what the U.S. position is, what steps they must take for peace, and I hope they follow that path.”Some former U.S. military officials have expressed concerns that the country might once again be drawn into an ‘endless war’ in the Middle East.In response, Hegseth sought to reassure critics:> “This is by no means an endless war,” he said.He further added that President Trump has given him a “clear and strong” mission — to destroy Iran’s nuclear capabilities.When reporters asked for more specific details about the extent of the damage and what the U.S. response would be if Iran or its allied militias attacked American interests, Hegseth responded:> “Damage assessments are still ongoing, but preliminarily we can say that all of our precision missiles struck their intended targets and had the expected impact.”He said the U.S. believes it has successfully destroyed Iran’s capabilities at the Fordow facility, which was their primary objective.