New in SpyWeek: Iran Damage Doubts, CIA-Russia Kerfuffle, Tulsi Prays to God

Welcome to SpyWeek, our weekly newsletter, where we look at news from the intersection of intelligence, foreign policy, and military operations.

We just have a line on him and Mossad way below, but as long as there’s an intel connection, we’re happy to keep Trump-Epstein story alive—Ed. (X circulated photo from many sources)

IRAN DAMAGE CONTROL: Despite President Trump’s claim that U.S. airstrikes “completely and totally obliterated” Iran’s nuclear program, a recent intelligence assessment tells a different story.

NBC News led The New York Times and The Washington Post in reporting that of the three enrichment facilities bombed in June—Natanz, Isfahan, and Fordow—only Fordow was “mostly destroyed” (according to NBC News) or “potentially destroyed” (per the New York Times) with operations likely delayed by at least two years of intensive work. 

The other two sites, which were also buried deep underground, were not as badly damaged and could be operational again within months, although such efforts would be detected by U.S. intelligence. That lines up with an initial Defense Intelligence Agency report, to which Trump responded with characteristic bluster by threatening to sue the journalists who reported it. 

Even as Trump’s White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly continues to claim total destruction of the targets, there have been discussions within the U.S. and Israeli governments about whether additional strikes could be necessary.