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The classified report, compiled by the Defense Intelligence Agency, found that while the American bombing campaign sealed off entrances to two major facilities, it did not collapse the underground structures housing Iran’s nuclear research, according to CNN, which first reported the news.
Before the operation, US intelligence had estimated that if Iran moved to develop a nuclear weapon, it could potentially do so within about three months.
Following the attacks, which followed earlier strikes from the Israeli Air Force, analysts now believe that timeline has been extended by less than six months.
Former officials told The Times that any accelerated nuclear push by Iran would likely focus on a crude device, not a more complex, miniaturized warhead. The extent of damage to Iran’s more advanced research efforts remains unclear.
Experts also believe Iran may have moved its enriched uranium out of the sites before the US strikes, according to an NPR report.
Enriched uranium has a much higher percentage of uranium-235, the isotope that can fission and keep a nuclear chain reaction going, compared to natural uranium.
In fact, natural uranium only has about 0.7 percent uranium-235, which isn’t sufficient to power most reactors efficiently.
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