WANA (Jun 30) – B-2 bombers took off from Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri, flew a 37-hour round trip, refueled multiple times mid-air, and dropped their 15-ton bunker-buster bombs on nuclear sites in Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan. But now, a fundamental question is being asked — not just in Iran, but in the U.S., Europe, and around the world: Did these strikes succeed in destroying Iran’s nuclear industry or not?

 

In the ongoing political and media clash in the U.S. — with CNN on one side and President Trump and his defense secretary on the other — the truth seems elusive. Who is right? Was the nuclear infrastructure truly annihilated, or does it still stand? The answer is both yes — and no.

 

Yes — It Was Damaged

The United States attacked Iran’s key uranium enrichment facilities with advanced bunker-buster bombs. These were highly sophisticated industrial complexes, built over many years with significant effort and investment. Rebuilding such infrastructure — especially with advanced technologies — is a complex and time-consuming task. In that sense, yes: the strike dealt a heavy blow.

 

No — It Was Not Destroyed

In any advanced industry, what truly matters is not just the buildings or machinery, but the scientific knowledge and skilled human capital that underpin them. Once a nation achieves a deep understanding of a technology, the path to recovery always remains open, particularly when there is strategic focus and the necessary human resources in place.

 

And that’s exactly the point…

Arak nuclear facility before and after the U.S. strike. Social media/ WANA News Agency

Obama’s Strategic Logic

During his presidency, Barack Obama once stated bluntly in an interview: “If we could destroy Iran’s nuclear industry, we would.”

 

This wasn’t just a passing comment. Every sentence spoken by a U.S. president is backed by stacks of reports, analyses, and legal considerations that remain part of their legacy for years.

 

It was based on such strategic assessments that Obama chose to sign the JCPOA (the Iran nuclear deal) — a decision deeply rooted in security and strategic reasoning. Iran, for its part, proved its commitment by strictly adhering to the terms of the agreement.

 

Trump’s Gamble

Then came Trump — who, for reasons that were partly personal, and perhaps also political or ideological — overturned the rules of the game. He didn’t just abandon diplomatic protocols, but even ignored legal mechanisms and the established traditions of the presidency. His 2018 withdrawal from the JCPOA was a fundamental mistake.

 

Had Trump not returned to power, perhaps the world could have moved past that error. But now, circumstances have caught up with him, and he must face the consequences of his earlier decisions.

 

It might have been wiser for Trump 2.0 to admit that Trump 1.0 had made a mistake. Until that first error is acknowledged, the second cannot be properly corrected, and then a third and fourth are bound to follow. Despite all its noise, the U.S. political system has little patience for such cycles of error.

Fordow Nuclear facility after the U.S. strike. Social media/ WANA News Agency

A Strategic Turning Point

Despite the recent damage, Iran’s nuclear industry has now reached a level of strategic deterrence that has complicated the equation, not just for global powers but even for Iran itself.

 

And now that the U.S., Israel, and the West have tested — in practice — what they had long modeled on paper, it might be time to close this file for good.

 

Perhaps the moment has come for rationality to return to the scene. Let the negotiations resume. Let this senseless conflict come to an end. And let the Middle East — and the broader West Asia region — seize a new opportunity for stability, reconstruction, and a sustainable future.

 

On June 13, the Israeli regime, in a blatant violation of international law and Iran’s national sovereignty, launched a military attack targeting areas in Tehran and other cities, including the country’s nuclear facilities. This terrorist act killed several Iranian scientists, military personnel, and civilians. This action did not go unpunished, as Iran’s Supreme Leader stated, and the Israeli regime faced severe retaliatory strikes.

 

In the continuation of this aggression, the United States also joined Israel’s war against Iran by launching direct attacks early Sunday (June 22) on Iran’s nuclear sites in Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan. This aggression also faced a strong response, in which Iran struck the U.S. Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar. This base is the headquarters of the U.S. Air Force and its largest strategic asset in West Asia.

 

Finally, on June 24, the U.S. President announced a ceasefire agreement between Iran and the Israeli regime. The Islamic Republic of Iran, while stressing that it did not start the war, declared that if the Israeli regime halts its illegal aggression, Iran also has no intention of continuing its retaliatory actions.