Sources from inside the administration revealed that President Donald Trump pulled up short on ordering an attack that could "truly decimate" Iran's nuclear capabilities, contradicting his claims about the bombing raid.
Five current and former U.S. officials told NBC News that one of the three nuclear enrichment sites struck last month was mostly destroyed, significantly setting back work, but two others were not damaged as badly and could potentially resume operations within months, and one current and two former officials told the network that Trump rejected a more comprehensive strike.
“We were willing to go all the way in our options, but the president did not want to,” said one of the sources with knowledge of the plan.
U.S. Central Command had planned out a more comprehensive strike involving three additional sites, which would have lasted several weeks, but Trump rejected that plan because it would have pulled the U.S. deeper into foreign military entanglements and could have resulted in a large number of casualties on both sides, two sources said.
“It would be a protracted air campaign,” said one person familiar with the plan.
Starting last fall, Army Gen. Erik Kurilla, head of Central Command, had developed an "all-in" strike repeatedly pounding six sites in Iran, according to two former officials, and some Trump administration officials believed the more extensive operation was a viable policy, but the president refused to agree to a sustained period of conflict.
"Trump called the strikes he directed 'a spectacular military success' and said, 'Iran’s key enrichment facilities have been completely and totally obliterated,'" NBC News reported. "The reality as gleaned through intelligence so far appears to be more nuanced. And if the early findings about the damage inflicted to Iran’s nuclear program hold up as more intelligence comes in, the United States could find itself back in a conflict there."
A White House spokesperson insisted "Operation Midnight Hammer totally obliterated Iran’s nuclear capabilities,” while Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell responded to a request for comment by attacking journalists.
"The credibility of the Fake News Media is similar to that of the current state of the Iranian nuclear facilities: destroyed, in the dirt, and will take years to recover," Parnell said in a statement. "President Trump was clear and the American people understand: Iran’s nuclear facilities in Fordow, Isfahan, and Natanz were completely and totally obliterated. There is no doubt about that.”