White House says US attacks on Iran 'resounding success'

By Yasin Gungor

ISTANBUL (AA) - The White House on Monday called the weekend US strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities a clear success, voicing confidence that Iran's enriched uranium stockpiles had been destroyed in the attacks.

"This operation was a resounding success," White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt told ABC News, referring to the US attacks on three Iranian nuclear sites.

"We are confident, yes, that Iran's nuclear sites were completely and totally obliterated," she said.

Addressing reports that Iran may have relocated nuclear materials before the strikes, Leavitt said: "We have a high degree of confidence that where those strikes took place is where Iran's enriched uranium was stored."

Discussing the consequences of the attacks, she claimed the US "took away" Iran's ability to produce nuclear weapons, thereby making America safer. "This is a regime that threatens 'death to America'," said Leavitt, referring to a slogan popularized after the 1979 Iranian revolution, in opposition to US policies towards Iran, including its support for the deposed shah and harsh sanctions.

The US targeted Iran’s nuclear sites with six bunker-buster bombs dropped on the Fordo facility with B-2 stealth bombers, along with dozens of submarine-launched cruise missile strikes on the Natanz and Isfahan facilities.

US President Donald Trump said satellite images show "monumental damage" to all nuclear sites, calling "obliteration" an accurate description.

Air Force Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, confirmed initial assessments show all three sites sustained "extremely severe" damage, though battle damage assessment continues.

Hostilities broke out June 13 when Israel launched airstrikes on several sites across Iran, including military and nuclear facilities, prompting Tehran to launch retaliatory strikes.

The U.S. said it did not take part in the initial attacks, but on Saturday it sent its bombers to do damage to Iran that Israeli forces were not capable of, at Tel Aviv’s urging.