French spy chief disputes Trump’s claims on Iran strike success; nuclear program only delayed by months
By isabelle // 2025-07-10
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  • France’s top intelligence official contradicts U.S. claims that Israeli-American airstrikes fully destroyed Iran’s uranium stockpile, revealing much of it remains missing.
  • The strikes delayed Iran’s nuclear program by months, not years, conflicting with White House assertions of complete destruction.
  • Without IAEA inspections, the status of Iran’s enriched uranium is unverifiable, raising proliferation concerns.
  • Western intelligence is divided, with France warning unchecked uranium stocks could fuel covert weaponization.
  • Israel reportedly fears Iran may salvage surviving material, risking renewed military action.
In a striking contradiction to the Trump administration’s triumphant claims, France’s top intelligence official has revealed that last month’s Israeli-American airstrikes on Iran only partially destroyed its uranium stockpile and that the whereabouts of the remaining material remain a mystery. Nicolas Lerner, chief of France’s Directorate-General for External Security (DGSE), stated Tuesday that the strikes merely delayed Iran’s nuclear program by several months, directly countering White House assertions of "complete destruction." Without resumed IAEA inspections, which Tehran has now blocked, the exact status of Iran’s enriched uranium cannot be verified, raising alarming questions about the true effectiveness of the military operation.

France contradicts U.S. claims

While Pentagon officials cautiously estimated the setback to Iran’s nuclear ambitions at one to two years, Lerner emphasized that Western intelligence agencies remain deeply divided. "Each of [Iran’s nuclear program] stages has been very seriously affected, very seriously damaged," he told France’s LCI broadcaster. "The nuclear program, as we knew it, has been extremely delayed, probably many months." His remarks align with anonymous U.S. intelligence sources cited by CNN and The New York Times, who similarly assessed the delay at only months, which is far shorter than Trump’s repeated declarations that Iran’s nuclear infrastructure was "obliterated." The discrepancy highlights a growing rift between political rhetoric and on-the-ground intelligence. On the night of the B-2 bomber raids, Trump proclaimed the key sites—Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan—were "completely destroyed." However, France’s DGSE suggests only a fraction of Iran’s enriched uranium was eliminated, with the rest still unaccounted for. Lerner admitted Paris has "indications" of its location but stressed that confirmation requires IAEA access, which Iran has now suspended.

A game of geopolitical ambiguity

Iranian officials have long accused IAEA inspectors of espionage, alleging they fed intelligence to Israel and the U.S. to facilitate targeting. Rafael Grossi, the IAEA’s director general, acknowledged last month that while strikes caused "severe" damage, it was "not total", directly contradicting Trump’s narrative. Meanwhile, Israel’s Atomic Energy Commission pushed a more optimistic line, claiming the strikes set Iran back "many years," but CNN reported Israeli insiders privately estimate just two years. The Pentagon’s own messaging has been inconsistent. Spokesperson Sean Parnell affirmed that key facilities were "destroyed," but Gen. Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, notably avoided such definitive language, stating instead that sites were heavily damaged. This ambiguity has fueled skepticism among allies, with French intelligence implicitly rebuking Washington’s triumphalism.

The dangers of unchecked uranium stockpiles

Before the strikes, the IAEA assessed Iran had accumulated enough highly enriched uranium for up to ten nuclear weapons. Now, with inspectors expelled, tracking its movement is impossible. Lerner warned, "We won't have the capacity to trace [the stocks]." This gap raises the specter of covert proliferation, as Tehran could divert remaining uranium for weaponization or conceal it in deeply buried, untargetable facilities. Israeli officials reportedly fear Iran may attempt to salvage surviving material from damaged sites in a scenario that could trigger renewed military action. According to Axios, Jerusalem is prepared for further strikes if Tehran revives its nuclear ambitions, possibly with Trump’s tacit approval. Since the strikes, Trump has doubled down on his narrative, insisting Tehran is now eager to negotiate, although he undermined his own argument by musing that formal agreements may be unnecessary. "That spoke louder than any paper," he said of the bombings, before sending envoy Steve Witkoff to mediate indirect talks. But without verifiable inspections, any diplomatic progress risks being illusory. French intelligence has effectively called the administration's bluff. By publicly disputing Trump’s claims, Lerner underscores a crucial truth: unless Iran’s uranium is fully accounted for, the threat remains. The Pentagon’s estimated two-year delay is optimistic at best because if Iran retains hidden reserves, the clock is already ticking. Sources for this article include: ZeroHedge.com DW.com YNetNews.com
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