INTERNACIONAL
Iran’s nuclear capabilities crushed, but regime’s desire for the bomb may persist
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President Donald Trump declared last week that Iran’s underground nuclear facilities bombed by the U.S. were «obliterated,» while adding the U.S. and Israeli strikes delivered «monumental damage to all nuclear sites in Iran.»
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth echoed that message in a briefing, saying the «CIA can confirm that a body of credible intelligence indicates Iran’s nuclear program has been severely damaged by recent targeted strikes.»
Israeli intelligence sources told Fox News Digital that strikes on Natanz, Fordow and Esfahan caused severe and possibly irreversible damage to Iran’s known enrichment infrastructure. «We hit the heart of their capabilities,» one official said.
NEW SATELLITE IMAGERY SHOWS ONGOING ACTIVITY AT IRAN’S FORDOW NUCLEAR COMPLEX AFTER US AIRSTRIKES
President Donald Trump arrives at the White House on June 9, 2025. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc)
But despite the overwhelming success of the mission, questions remain about what survived – and what might come next. Analysts warn that while Iran’s declared facilities have been largely destroyed, covert elements of the program may still exist, and enriched uranium stockpiles could resurface.
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director Rafael Grossi said in an interview with CBS on Saturday that although «it’s clear that what happened in particular in Fordow, Natanz, [and] Isfahan—where Iran used to have, and still has to some degree, capabilities in terms of treatment, conversion, and enrichment of uranium—has been destroyed to an important degree,» the threat remains.
Maxar Technologies imagery taken on June 29, 2025, captures the aftermath of U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran’s Fordow uranium facility, revealing damaged tunnels and repair operations underway. (Maxar Technologies)
Nuclear experts say that while Iran’s nuclear progress has been dealt a historic blow, the regime may still retain the technical know-how and residual capabilities to reconstitute its program over time – especially if it chooses to go dark.
A detailed assessment released Tuesday by the Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS) found that Israel’s Operation Rising Lion, followed by U.S. bunker-busting strikes, «effectively destroyed Iran’s centrifuge enrichment program.» But authors David Albright and Spencer Faragasso cautioned that «residuals such as stocks of 60%, 20%, and 3-5% enriched uranium and centrifuges manufactured but not yet installed… pose a threat as they can be used in the future to produce weapon-grade uranium».
A map of Iran’s nuclear facilities attacked and «obliterated» by the U.S. on June 22, 2025. (Fox News)
Jonathan Ruhe, director of foreign policy at the Jewish Institute for National Security of America (JINSA), echoed that concern in an interview with Fox News Digital.
«The threat now is certainly much reduced,» Ruhe said. «But the threat from here on out is going to be much more difficult to detect because Iran could try to rebuild covertly. They don’t need much space or time to enrich 60% to 90%. And the IAEA has said for years that Iran likely retains some secret capability.»
TRUMP HAILS ‘MONUMENTAL’ DAMAGE AS EXPERTS AWAIT VERDICT ON IRAN’S NUCLEAR PROGRAM
Ruhe added that while Israeli intelligence was likely aware of attempts to move uranium before the strikes, «any planning assumption going forward must consider Iran’s residual capacity – even if it’s diminished.»
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei in Tehran on March 21, 2025. (Iranian Leader Press Office/Handout/Anadolu via Getty Images)
John Spencer, chair of urban warfare studies at the Modern War Institute, said critics who argue the program wasn’t completely destroyed are missing the bigger picture.
«Can everything be rebuilt eventually? Sure. But there’s no question the program was rolled back – years, if not more,» Spencer told Fox News Digital. «People fixate on how many pounds of uranium are missing. But building a bomb requires much more than material. You need the conversion, the metallurgy, the delivery system – all of which were hit.»
Centrifuge machines in the Natanz uranium enrichment facility in central Iran, in a photo released on Nov. 5, 2019. (Atomic Energy Organization of Iran via AP, File)
Dr. Or Rabinowitz, a nuclear proliferation scholar at Hebrew University and visiting associate professor at Stanford, noted that many unknowns remain.
«There’s no verified answer yet to what happened to the 60% enriched uranium – or to the other feedstocks at 20% or 3.5%,» Rabinowitz said. «If Iran has access to advanced centrifuges, they could in theory enrich back to weapons-grade – but we don’t know how many centrifuges survived or in what condition they are.»
A B-2 bomber arrives at Whiteman Air Force Base, Missouri, Sunday, June 22, 2025. (AP Photo/David Smith)
She also explained that even if Iran retains the material, converting uranium gas into metal for a bomb requires a specialized facility. «From what we know, that conversion facility in Isfahan was bombed. Without it, Iran faces a significant bottleneck,» she said. But she warned that nuclear weapons technology is not insurmountable: «This is 1940s science. If North Korea could do it, Iran could too – eventually.»
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According to the ISIS report, «extensive damage» was confirmed at nearly all major Iranian nuclear and missile facilities, including the destruction of uranium metal conversion plants, fuel fabrication centers, and the IR-40 Arak heavy water reactor. The report noted that the Israeli and U.S. strikes «rendered the Fordow site inoperable,» citing high-resolution satellite imagery of deep bunker penetrations.
An Israeli fighter jet takes off for strikes in Tehran. (IDF)
Rabinowitz also emphasized that the intelligence picture is still developing in real time. «The Israelis and the Americans are now hard at work to generate the most accurate intelligence picture they can,» she said. «Without having my own sources in the Mossad, I can guarantee the Israelis are monitoring internal Iranian communications, trying to figure out what the Iranians have figured out. As they learn more, so will Israel and the U.S.»
As debate continues over whether the strikes were enough to permanently disable Iran’s nuclear ambitions, analysts agree on one point: Iran’s assumption that it could push forward without consequence is gone.
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During a press conference on Friday. Trump was asked if he would bomb Iran’s nuclear program again if it was restarted. He told reporters, «Sure without question.»
INTERNACIONAL
Discurso del Estado de la Unión: Trump describió un EE.UU. «dorado», pero los estadounidenses no lo perciben
INTERNACIONAL
Speechwriters split after Trump’s record-breaking SOTU: ‘Living in his own reality’ vs. ‘Resounding speech’
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Presidential speechwriters sharply split late Tuesday after President Donald Trump delivered a record-breaking State of the Union address, drawing praise from allies and prompting early exits from some Democrats.
During his address, Trump focused on immigration enforcement, economic concerns and global trade issues as he occasionally sparred with Democrats like Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar, who along with fellow Squad member Rep. Rashida Tlaib of Michigan left the chamber early, while Rep. Al Green, D-Texas, was booted after waving a sign condemning a recent Trump social media post.
Gene Hamilton, a former deputy White House counsel who has written speeches, told Fox News Digital that Trump delivered a «resounding speech» and «could not have been more clear about the current state of our great nation.»
«A vision of hope, prosperity, and strength, driven by strong borders, a strong economy, and a love of country.»
President Donald Trump, center, greets lawmakers on State of the Union night. (Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/Getty Images)
Hamilton said the speech was «juxtaposed» against a swath of the Democratic caucus in the chamber that «wouldn’t even stand for the provision that the government’s first duty ‘is to protect American citizens, not illegal immigrants’.»
«Donald Trump saved this country with his election in 2024. His administration will keep working every day to deliver real wins for the American people,» said Hamilton, who worked in the first Trump administration and now works with America First Legal.
On the other side of the political spectrum, former Biden speechwriter Dan Cluchey told Fox News Digital that Trump did «less than zero to dispel the notion that he is living in his own reality.»
Asked if Trump succeeded in addressing the immigration crisis and affordability criticisms well enough, Cluchey said that while Americans endure «skyrocketing grocery, energy, and health costs, rising unemployment, and an economy that is growing more slowly today than in any year under President Biden, his only play is to tell families not to believe their own pocketbooks.»
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U.S. Rep. Al Green protests as President Donald Trump arrives to deliver the State of the Union address during a joint session of Congress at the Capitol on February 24, 2026 in Washington, D.C. (Kenny Holston-Pool/Getty Images)
«[That] doesn’t work,» said Cluchey, who co-hosted a SOTU watch party and speechwriting workshop across town at Georgetown University during Trump’s speech.
Asked about Trump’s ability to convey what he believed to be his administration’s successes, Cluchey said that dynamic «doesn’t really work when the claims you fabricate don’t square with people’s real lives.»
«A willingness to lie brazenly about anything and everything has some utility when you’re campaigning, but it doesn’t hold up when you’re governing — and people are actually living through the constant stream of chaos, cruelty, and ineptitude,» Cluchey said.
Cluchey added that Trump did not do enough to combat his critics, saying he instead came across as «self-obsessed and delusional as he always does.»
Unlike Hamilton, Cluchey believed Trump failed to change any minds in America with his remarks.
Hamilton separately countered that Trump did indeed reiterate that he has delivered on campaign promises.
«For all the haters and ‘black-pillers’ who run their mouths incessantly, just one year of President Trump’s successes has dwarfed the accomplishments of entire administrations that preceded him,» he said.
Michael Ceraso, a Democratic strategist with a background in speechwriting who worked with presidential candidates Pete Buttigieg and Bernie Sanders, offered a slightly different perspective, saying that as a Democrat, he wants a president who works toward collaboration and not someone who «speaks in monologues.»
DOUG SCHOEN: ONE BIG WINNER, ONE GIANT LOSER AND ONE BIG PROBLEM AFTER TRUMP’S STATE OF THE UNION
Connor Hellebuyck seen after President Donald Trump announces he will receive the Presidential Medal of Freedom on Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)
«As a voter, I may not like him. I may find his long form exhausting. But when he speaks, he never wavers from American exceptionalism,» Ceraso said.
«I see someone protecting our cities against those he deems a threat to democracy, revving up the economy, managing global partners, and defeating terrorism.»
Ceraso said, however, he misses former President Barack Obama and his message of intellectualism, curiosity and togetherness.
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«As a voter, I believe both parties are bad for this country.»
«So I go with the guy who entertains me,» Ceraso said.
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MEXICO CITY: Firsthand accounts are emerging from Americans trapped by this week’s cartel-related violence in Mexico following the death of cartel boss Nemesio Oseguera Cervantes, known as «El Mencho.»
As news spread of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel (CJNG) cartel boss’s murder, reports described armed clashes between rival criminal organizations and Mexican security forces, as well as coordinated vehicle burnings and temporary highway blockades. Mexican authorities say that such operations are often linked to internal cartel disputes or targeted law enforcement actions.
With the situation improving, Americans in the tourist area of Puerto Vallarta and beyond shared their experiences of the violent scenes they were caught up in.
A soldier stands guard by a charred vehicle after it was set on fire in Cointzio, Michoacán state, Mexico, Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026, after the death of the leader of the Jalisco New Generation Cartel, Nemesio Rubén Oseguera Cervantes, known as «El Mencho.» (AP Photo/Armando Solis) (Armando Solis/AP Photo)
«My group was seven people, and we were on our way to the main port in Puerto Vallarta with a local shuttle driver when we saw a bus stopped horizontally across the road in front of us. At first, we thought it was an accident, but then we saw people running full speed away from the bus,» Colorado resident Scott Posilkin told Fox News Digital.
«As we were trying to register what was happening, we saw a man with a gun come around the far side of the bus. He waved it at us and gave us a hand signal to turn around, which we immediately did. We tried to head in the opposite direction, but we encountered another burning car, which left us essentially trapped between the two.»
He continued, «We went down to the only beach we could access. One of the locals advised us that the safest place for us would be out on the water. We took a tender boat out to the snorkeling boat we were supposed to be on and stayed there for a few hours. From the water, we could see what looked like much of the town burning.»
Posilkin said, «Getting a boat back to shore took a long time, and at one point we even considered swimming because there was no one on the beach to come get us. The captain said he had never seen the beach empty like that in his life, and he grew up there. We eventually flagged down a passing tender that brought us to shore. There were cartel members on a motorcycle who yelled «Viva Mexico» at us, but we did not feel that they were threatening us in any way. Both our shuttle driver and the locals assured us that the cartel was not interested in harming Americans and that it was still safest for us to get home that way.»
A burned-out bus in the Puerto Vallarta area of Mexico. (Photo courtesy of Scott Posilkin)
Posilkin gave credit to the locals for their help and support. «I want to emphasize how above and beyond the locals went to help us during an incredibly stressful situation. Everyone we interacted with — from our boat captain to our shuttle driver — had grown up here, and none of them had ever seen anything like this before… More than anything, I feel bad for the locals. Tourism is their livelihood, and I worry about the impact this will have on them. This experience hasn’t changed my love for travel or for Mexico, though it was a serious ordeal.»
TROOPS REINFORCE PUERTO VALLARTA AS UNREST SHOWS SIGNS OF EASING FOLLOWING EL MENCHO’S DEATH
Tourists walk past a burned shop in Puerto Vallarta, Jalisco state, Mexico, on Feb. 24, 2026, after cartel-linked violence erupted following the death of Jalisco New Generation cartel leader Nemesio «El Mencho» Oseguera Cervantes. (Alfredo Estrella/AFP via Getty Images)
Rodolfo Flores, an American citizen and executive in the energy sector talked to Fox News Digital: «Although it wasn’t one of the worst-affected areas, on Sunday I saw a convenience store in Querétaro that had been burned down with a Molotov bomb.»
He said, «On the way to Mexico City, we saw cars and trucks that had been set on fire. This is just one example of how vulnerable we are, and it’s astonishing how these criminal organizations can terrorize the population. The authorities are to blame for allowing them to grow and expand with highly effective criminal cells.»
Security analysts note that cartel violence often intensifies following high-profile arrests, internal leadership disputes, or shifts in territorial control. Public displays of force — such as coordinated blockades or attacks on infrastructure — can serve as demonstrations of operational capacity.
Smoke rises after violence hit Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. (Photo courtesy of Scott Posilkin)
Another American, who asked to remain anonymous for security reasons, told Fox News Digital, «I left Coalcoman Michoacan on Sunday at 11:00 a.m. when the chaos began. As I left town, I saw them burning cars and trucks, pulling people out of their vehicles, and setting them on fire. Luckily, I managed to escape and cross the mountains; it’s a mountainous region. All along the way, I kept seeing burning cars and armed people. I was fortunate that they didn’t stop me,» he said.
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«I made it all the way to Colima and then to Guadalajara. Later, things got worse in my town. I heard they started burning gas stations and set fire to a supermarket. They closed off the town so people couldn’t get in or out.»
On Tuesday afternoon, the U.S. embassy in Mexico posted an update stating that «U.S. citizens are no longer urged to shelter in place.»
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mexican cartel violence,location mexico,travel,trade
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