The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has initiated an inquiry into a Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) report that was leaked to CNN, which evaluated the repercussions of President Donald Trump's military actions against Iran.
This development was disclosed by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
During the NATO summit held in The Hague, Netherlands, Hegseth addressed the media, criticizing the portrayal of the leak as an attempt to discredit the President's achievements. According to the Daily Caller, the leaked report, initially shared with CNN, indicated that the June 21 strikes on Iran's Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan nuclear facilities did not entirely dismantle the country's nuclear program, contrary to the President's assertions. Hegseth emphasized, "Were doing a leak investigation with the FBI right now because this information is for internal purposes, battle damage assessments."
CNN's report, based on information from seven anonymous sources familiar with the DIA's findings, suggested that Iran's nuclear capabilities would only experience a temporary setback. However, both the White House and a senior DIA official contested these claims, arguing that the report was preliminary and did not capture the full extent of the damage inflicted on the nuclear sites. The Iranian Foreign Ministry, on the other hand, acknowledged that the facilities had suffered significant damage.
The DIA official, through a statement released by Pentagon Spokesperson Sean Parnell, described the report as "a preliminary, low confidence report" that would be updated as more intelligence becomes available. The official also confirmed ongoing efforts with relevant authorities to investigate the unauthorized leak of classified information. Meanwhile, the FBI, when approached by the Daily Caller News Foundation, refrained from confirming or denying the existence of any specific investigation.
In a statement to the DCNF, Hegseth asserted, "Based on everything we have seen and Ive seen it all our bombing campaign obliterated Irans ability to create nuclear weapons. Our massive bombs hit exactly the right spot at each targetand worked perfectly."
He further contended that any claims undermining the effectiveness of the strikes were merely attempts to discredit the President and the mission's success.
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