US re-asserts 2025 strikes ‘obliterated’ Iran’s nuclear programme

The White House’s comment comes days after a senior Trump aide said Iran is one week away from having material for nuclear bomb.Published On 24 Feb 2026The White House has insisted that last year’s strikes against Iran destroyed the country’s nuclear programme despite a recent claim by a senior US official that Tehran is a week away from having bombmaking material.Karoline Leavitt, the White House spokesperson, told reporters on Tuesday that the June 2025 attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities, known as Operation Midnight Hammer, was an “overwhelmingly successful mission”.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Reports of top US general’s concerns over attack on Iran rebuked by Trumplist 2 of 3Trump set to deliver second term’s first State of the Union: What to expectlist 3 of 3Iran army helicopter crashes into market, killing 2 pilots and 2 merchantsend of listThe attack “did, in fact, obliterate Iran’s nuclear facilities“, Leavitt said.But just this weekend, President Donald Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff suggested that Iran is close to having enough material to build a nuclear weapon.“They’re probably a week away from having industrial-grade bomb-making material,” Witkoff told Fox News on Saturday.Since last June’s strikes, Trump has repeatedly hailed the attack, arguing that it eliminated Iran’s nuclear programme and led to “peace” in the Middle East. Operation Midnight Hammer came towards the end of a 12-day war Israel initiated with Iran that month.But eight months later, US and Iranian officials are once again holding talks to reach a nuclear deal and avert another war.Uncertainty over Iran’s nuclear capabilitiesOn Tuesday, Leavitt said the destruction of Iran’s nuclear programme had been “verified” by Trump and the United Nations’ watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).“That does not mean that Iran may never try again to establish a nuclear programme that could directly threaten the United States and our allies abroad, and that’s what the president wants to ensure can never happen again,” she added.