US strikes set back Iran’s nuclear program by years, CIA chief says - AP

The CIA director has told US lawmakers that American military strikes delivered a major blow to Iran’s nuclear program by destroying its only metal conversion facility, the Associated Press reported Sunday, citing a US official familiar with the classified briefing.

John Ratcliffe made the assessment during a closed-door hearing with members of Congress last week, calling the attack a “monumental setback” for Tehran’s nuclear capabilities that could take years to recover from, according to the unnamed official.

The revelation comes amid continued scrutiny from Democratic lawmakers over the scope and impact of the strikes carried out before last Tuesday’s ceasefire between Iran and Israel.

US intelligence believes the majority of Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile is now buried beneath the rubble of the Isfahan and Fordow sites—two of the three key nuclear facilities hit in the strikes, Ratcliffe told lawmakers.