WASHINGTON, June 27, 2025 – President Donald Trump has openly blamed the Democratic Party for leaking a classified intelligence report that disputes his administration’s claims about the success of recent US airstrikes against Iran’s nuclear sites. In a Truth Social post, Trump wrote, “The Democrats are the ones who leaked the information on the PERFECT FLIGHT to the Nuclear Sites in Iran. They should be prosecuted!”
This charge comes after a report by the US Defense Intelligence Agency, released by CNN and The New York Times, which stated that the airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities had pushed back the country’s nuclear program by only several months, since most of Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium had been moved ahead of the strikes.
Trump attacked both media organizations on Wednesday for what he argued was their coverage, saying they were trying to undermine what he referred to as “one of the most successful military strikes in history.” He claimed, “The nuclear facilities in Iran are totally devastated! The Times and CNN are being widely discredited by the people.”
During a press conference on Thursday, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt paraphrased Trump, saying that the individuals leaking the initial report of the airstrikes “need to be held accountable for committing that crime.” She reiterated the administration’s dedication to making sure classified information does not end up in the wrong hands, going on to say, “We need to improve that process to safeguard our national security and safeguard the American public.
CIA Director John Ratcliffe backed the administration’s account, stating that the agency had collected credible information showing extensive damage to Iran’s nuclear program from the airstrikes. Ratcliffe observed that some of Iran’s most important nuclear facilities had been destroyed and would take years to rebuild.
But his comments were contrary to the previous initial analysis by the Defense Intelligence Agency, that the airstrikes had not entirely destroyed key elements of Iran’s nuclear program.
