US President Donald Trump has launched a blistering attack on the media after leaked intelligence reports challenged his claim that recent US airstrikes had “totally obliterated” key Iranian nuclear sites.
Trump, 79, authorised a triple strike on nuclear facilities in Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan on Sunday (22 June), in what he described as a decisive military response to a reported sleeper-cell terror threat from Iran. The bombings came just days after Israel initiated a surprise missile assault on Iran, reigniting already high tensions in the region.
In the hours following the US-led attack, Trump publicly declared that the sites had been “destroyed completely”, insisting that Iran’s nuclear capabilities were crippled. However, newly leaked information from the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) tells a different story.
According to classified reports obtained and first revealed by CNN, and later cited by The New York Times, the strikes caused only partial damage, setting back Iran’s nuclear operations by mere months. Crucially, the reports state that Iran’s enriched uranium remains intact, directly contradicting Trump’s initial assertion.
Trump’s Fury Unleashed Online
In response to the revelations, Trump took to Truth Social, and later reposted to X (formerly Twitter), to criticise the reports and the media outlets behind them.
“We just caught the Failing New York Times, working with Fake News CNN, cheating again! They tried to demean the great work our B-2 pilots did, and they were wrong in doing so,” he wrote.
“These reporters are just BAD AND SICK PEOPLE. You would think they would be proud of the great success we had, instead of always trying to make our country look bad. TOTAL OBLITERATION!”
Ceasefire in Name Only
Following the strikes, Trump announced a ceasefire agreement between Iran and Israel. But within hours, both sides reportedly violated the terms, continuing to launch missiles across borders. The instability has prompted concern from international leaders, many of whom are calling for immediate diplomatic intervention.
At a press briefing on the White House lawn on Tuesday (24 June), Trump reiterated that the bombings had rendered Iran’s facilities unusable.
“Iran will never rebuild its nuclear bases,” he said. “That place is under rocks. That place is demolished.”
NATO Summit: Trump Targets ‘Scum’ Behind Leak
During an appearance at the NATO summit in The Hague on Wednesday, Trump escalated his rhetoric further, directing his anger at the anonymous individual responsible for leaking the classified material.
“Scum. Real scum,” he told NBC. “Our pilots put their lives on the line, and then they have, and I’m not referring to you, but real scum come out and write reports that are as negative as they could possibly be.”
When questioned by CNN’s Chief White House Correspondent, Kaitlan Collins, Trump openly derided the network and the New York Times.
“Fake news. CNN. Yeah, here we go,” he said, dismissively.
In a follow-up exchange with Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, Trump again accused major outlets of intentionally misrepresenting the military operation.
“The instinct of CNN and The New York Times is to try to spin it for their own political reasons. To try to hurt President Trump, or our country,” he said. “They don’t care what the troops think. They don’t care what the world thinks.”
What Now?
The dispute over the effectiveness of the strikes has ignited a broader conversation about accountability, transparency, and media credibility in wartime reporting.
As Iran and Israel continue exchanging fire and the truth behind the bombing campaign remains clouded by political noise, Trump is standing firm, doubling down on his narrative of military triumph and dismissing any reports to the contrary as “fake news.”
