US strikes did not destroy Iran’s nuclear program; says Blinken

Former US Secretary of State Antony Blinken claimed Wednesday that the US air strikes against Iran nuclear sites did not destroy the country’s nuclear program, adding that Tehran is capable of quickly repairing the damage caused by US strikes.

In an op-ed in The New York Times, Blinken said the diplomatic efforts of the administration of US President Donald Trump have failed. 

“While there is no doubt the US strike slowed Iran’s nuclear ambitions, it is capable of rapidly rebuilding facilities in locations and at depths that are virtually impenetrable, while simultaneously continuing to develop weapons” he added.

Citing experts, Blinken said there are doubts about the ability of US bunker-buster bombs to destroy targets in Iran. 

“Experts I’ve spoken with have serious doubts about the ability of the US’s unique 30,000-pound (13.6-ton) bunker-buster bombs to disable Fordow and other deep, hardened targets in Iran’s nuclear program” he said, noting that initial reports indicate that while Iran’s nuclear infrastructure has been “severely damaged”, “it has not been destroyed”.

Earlier, Democratic Senator Chris Murphy told CNN that the US military had not delivered a “destructive blow” to Iran’s nuclear program, contrary to Trump’s statements.

READ: French president says US attacks on Iran have ‘no legal basis’