The Fight Over Iran BDA Is Not About Whether Nuke Program Destroyed

In a sane world, the bomb damage assessment that would tell us whether key elements of Iran’s nuclear program were destroyed would be based on empirical evidence. 

We don’t live in a sane world. The argument has everything to do with whether you like Donald Trump or hate him. 

If you like Trump, the nuclear program was “obliterated.” If you dislike him, it is all a lie. 

BREAKING:

🇮🇷🇺🇲🇮🇱CNN:

“US and Israel failed to destroy Iranian NUCLEAR capacity”

‘According to a battle damage assessment by U.S. CENTCOM, neither Iran’s highly enriched uranium was destroyed, nor the fortified underground sites at Fordow and Esfahan — most of Iran’s… pic.twitter.com/8UfqWXqLo3

— Greta Berlin (@Truegreta) June 25, 2025

Given what we know, it seems more likely than not that the key nuclear site at Fordow was severely damaged. Unlike many, I don’t believe this because the Intelligence “Community” says so, although that is obviously an important data point. We do know that Fordow was a very tough nut to crack completely–meaning to destroy the actual halls where the centrifuges are, which were deeply buried, would be very difficult. 

After getting torched by the Trump Administration, CNN is now panicking and reporting the TRUTH about the U.S. strikes on Iran:

“It worked… flawlessly. Completely destroyed. Those centrifuges are gone. Fordow is inoperable.. Probably forever.”
pic.twitter.com/nxgvGFmIpf

— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) June 26, 2025

No, the reason to believe that Iran took a serious blow to their ability to enrich Uranium is that nearly everybody with an interest has admitted it. Israel, for instance, seems satisfied that rebuilding Fordow will be a difficult task. The IAEA says so. Iran has hinted as much, although it also claims some level of victory. And, of course, the US IC says as much. 

Wow not sure he was supposed to say this part out loud. 😂

Trump discloses that the Mossad entered the Fordow facility after the US decimated it.

What they found was “Total obliteration”, but surely CNN knows better. 🤡 pic.twitter.com/64zWsJRoSF

— Hillel Fuld (@HilzFuld) June 25, 2025

On the other hand, a janitor at the Pentagon tells CNN that Fordow was barely scratched. pic.twitter.com/fFzbpw97rA

— Margot Cleveland (@ProfMJCleveland) June 25, 2025

Trump’s boasts about “obliterating” Fordow may be Trumpian hyperbole, but it’s reasonable to assume that Iran will not be able to reconstitute its nuclear program for a very long time–which, unless the current Iranian regime falls or allows inspectors to roam freely without any restrictions–is the very best we can accomplish in any case, Fordow obliterated or merely damaged, it amounts to much the same thing in this regard. The current infrastructure is destroyed. 

History is replete with proof that it’s imperative to ask for evidence of presidential assertions. It is necessary – and patriotic – to question official accounts; to wonder if the public is being misled; and to do so regardless of which party is in power. https://t.co/P4cccHNLOp

— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) June 26, 2025

Yet there is a chorus of figures in the media who are deeply committed to undermining the narrative that Fordow was destroyed. There is almost an element of euphoria at the prospect that Iran may have foiled Donald Trump. 

President Trump asserts that Iran’s Fordow nuclear site was completely destroyed by U.S. strikes and rips the New York Times, CNN, and MSNBC for casting doubt on the results of the attacks. pic.twitter.com/zbj7p9G0zT

— Rebel News (@RebelNewsOnline) June 25, 2025

They are rooting for the US to fail. I don’t say that because they are reporting that there is doubt about the level of damage done to the site–waiting for all the evidence to come in makes sense–but because the story is framed in terms of the doubts proving that Trump is a liar. 

Only CNN could find someone to actually claim that because Trump bombed Iran’s nuclear facilities, Iran is now only days away from being able to build a nuclear bomb.

This guy is a professional NGO grifter and before he quit X and ran to Bluesky, he was posting about Iran being… pic.twitter.com/D5e6HG4E04

— MAZE (@mazemoore) June 25, 2025

As always, the story is Trump, no matter what. To a certain extent, many of the people pointing to Trump’s statements as proof that the site was destroyed as “proof” that it was are doing the same thing, and that is just as stupid. 

Karoline Leavitt is going to make Natasha Bertran rethink her entire life 😂 🔥 pic.twitter.com/F18a6VfpFS

— Sara Rose 🇺🇸🌹 (@saras76) June 26, 2025

Just as any story about Democrat malfeasance always is presented as Republicans “seizing” and “pouncing,” any story about Donald Trump’s actions will be about his failure to do the right thing. 

It’s funny how often CNN has to insist that they’re not a bunch of lying propagandists https://t.co/Rz8auXSogu

— Kyle Becker (@kylenabecker) June 25, 2025

As I said above, I am not certain that the Fordow mission was a complete success–it likely was, but I am uncertain to a small degree–but I do know that I cannot trust that the Pravda Media is telling the truth either. And given their history, we know that they want Trump to fail and will lie to accomplish that goal.