On Monday, President Donald Trump forcefully pushed back against media reports casting doubt on the extent of destruction caused by U.S. airstrikes on three Iranian nuclear facilities—Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan. The strikes, announced over the weekend, were framed by Trump as a decisive blow to Iran’s nuclear program. However, several mainstream outlets suggested the damage may have been less than total, prompting a swift and fiery response from the president.
“The sites that we hit in Iran were totally destroyed, and everyone knows it,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “Only the Fake News would say anything different in order to try and demean, as much as possible — And even they say they were ‘pretty well destroyed!’”
Trump went further, accusing the media of intentionally downplaying the effectiveness of the operation. “It never ends with the sleazebags in the Media, and that’s why their Ratings are at an ALL TIME LOW — ZERO CREDIBILITY!”
Over the weekend, Trump had already characterized the strikes as devastating, claiming “monumental damage” had been inflicted and calling the mission “Obliteration.” In a follow-up post, he emphasized: “Bullseye!!!”
Independent verification of the full extent of the damage has been limited, largely due to the secrecy surrounding the U.S. strike operation and the restricted media environment inside Iran. However, both U.S. intelligence sources and Israeli officials have backed Trump’s assertion that the facilities were severely compromised, particularly the underground enrichment sites.
Multiple interceptors seen leaving Qatar during the Iranian ballistic missile attack against U.S. Al Udeid Air Base. pic.twitter.com/z8QMsjE67W
— OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) June 23, 2025
Iran responded on Monday by launching a retaliatory missile barrage targeting U.S. forces stationed at Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar. While no casualties were reported, the escalation prompted the U.S. State Department to issue a shelter-in-place warning for Americans in the region. Airspace over parts of the Gulf was also temporarily restricted as a precaution.
In another Truth Social post, Trump warned Tehran that “any retaliation by Iran against the United States of America will be met with force far greater” than the bombings already carried out. The message was a clear signal that the administration views this as a red line—further escalation could trigger an even more overwhelming response.
