Western officials grow skeptical
French Spy Chief: Iran’s Nuclear Capabilities Intact Despite U.S.-Israel Strikes
France says uranium stockpiles remain largely unaccounted for, casting doubt on American claims of total destruction
France’s top intelligence official has cast doubt on the effectiveness of last month’s coordinated military strikes by the United States and Israel on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, saying large portions of Tehran’s highly enriched uranium stockpiles remain unverified and potentially untouched.
Speaking in a televised interview, Nicolas Lerner, director of the DGSE (France’s foreign intelligence agency), said that while the air campaign had caused significant disruption to Iran’s atomic development, it ultimately bought only a temporary delay.
“Our evaluation is that the various phases of Iran’s nuclear efforts have suffered serious damage,” Lerner said, “but the setbacks are measured in months - not years.”
In a particularly concerning admission, Lerner revealed that Western intelligence currently lacks certainty about the exact location of Iran’s remaining uranium stockpiles.
“We have some indications, but nothing conclusive,” he said. “Without the presence of IAEA inspectors on the ground, we can’t confidently track the material.”
The situation has become more opaque since Iran expelled UN nuclear watchdog personnel earlier this month, accusing them of acting as covert informants for foreign powers. Tehran has long claimed that surveillance data gathered under the guise of inspections was shared with U.S. and Israeli officials to assist with strike planning.
Lerner’s comments appear to contradict Washington’s more optimistic public stance. The White House and Pentagon have repeatedly touted the operation’s success, with President Trump declaring the Iranian program “obliterated” and “completely destroyed.”
However, recent assessments from U.S. defense officials, including a Pentagon briefing last week, suggest that Iran’s ambitions may have been delayed by a year or two at most.