Trump reiterates Iran nuclear sites destroyed despite contradicting reports

US President Donald Trump has doubled down on his assertion that American strikes "completely destroyed" Iran’s nuclear facilities despite emerging reports suggesting that key sites remain largely intact.

In a post on the Truth Social platform, Trump reiterated his claim that "all three nuclear sites in Iran were completely destroyed and/or OBLITERATED." 

He suggested that it would take years for Iran to restore the facilities, proposing that the country would be better off starting anew at different locations.

On June 22, US bomb and missile strikes targeted Iran's controversial nuclear programme, hitting key sites including the Fordo uranium enrichment facility, as well as locations in Isfahan and Natanz.

The bombings, carried out at the same time as an Israeli campaign against Iranian nuclear and military infrastructure, were billed by Washington as a knockout blow to a years-long covert effort to build nuclear weapons.

Iran insists it has not tried to weaponise its civilian nuclear power programme.

Despite Trump's claims of total success, several US media outlets have reported leaked intelligence suggesting a hazier picture.

The latest to cast doubt was an NBC News report Friday, quoting a military damage assessment that only one of the three sites was mostly destroyed.

Two other sites were deemed to be repairable and potentially able to resume uranium enrichment activities within "the next several months," NBC reported, citing five current and former US officials aware of the assessment.

NBC also reported that the Pentagon had prepared an option to inflict far greater damage on Iran's facilities through a bombing campaign that would have lasted several weeks, not the one-night operation chosen by Trump.

According to the report, citing one current and one former official, Trump rejected the more comprehensive attack plan due to fears of casualties and entanglement in the conflict.