Trump: US strikes crippled Iran’s nuclear program for decades

Shafaq News/ US President Donald Trump said Wednesday that American airstrikes had inflicted “irreversible damage” on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, asserting that Tehran would struggle for decades to rebuild its program.

Speaking from The Hague, Trump told reporters that the recent US military operation had “completely destroyed” Iran’s underground Fordow enrichment facility and crippled other key sites. “Our bombs caused total destruction at Fordow,” he said. “We eliminated Iran’s nuclear capabilities in full.”

Trump claimed that Iran’s weapons stockpiles were also targeted. “They had a lot of ammunition—we destroyed it,” he added. “Their nuclear program has now been pushed back by decades.”

He described any attempt by Iran to reconstruct its nuclear program as a long and costly undertaking. “It’s very hard to rebuild something they spent billions on over many years,” he said. “Restoring those facilities would be extremely expensive.”

He argued that the strikes were a necessary precondition for any diplomatic progress. “If we hadn’t taken out their facilities, there would have been no chance of reaching a settlement with Iran,” he said.

Trump also drew a contrast with Israeli efforts. “Our strike was excellent. We destroyed everything Israel couldn’t,” he claimed.

Trump acknowledged that Israel had suffered significant damage as well from Iranian retaliation. “Israel was hit hard in recent days. Ballistic missiles destroyed multiple buildings,” he said.

Still, he suggested the conflict could eventually shift toward diplomacy. “We’ll end up with some kind of relationship with Iran,” Trump concluded.