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WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥� President Donald Trump insisted Wednesday that U.S. strikes delivered a crushing blow to Iran鈥檚 nuclear program despite a preliminary American intelligence assessment suggesting that the assault inflicted only a marginal setback.

鈥淭his was a devastating attack, and it knocked them for a loop,鈥� Trump said as his administration deployed a phalanx of top officials to defend his claims that Iran鈥檚 nuclear program was 鈥渃ompletely and fully obliterated.鈥�

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the leaked intelligence assessment, which said Iran suffered a delay of only a few months, was 鈥減reliminary鈥� and 鈥渓ow confidence.鈥� Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the officials who disclosed the findings are 鈥減rofessional stabbers.鈥�

The White House pointed to a statement from the Israel Atomic Energy Commission that said Iran faced a setback of 鈥渕any years.鈥�

Drawing reliable conclusions about the impact of the U.S. strikes is difficult, making the issue a breeding ground for competing claims that could determine how American voters view Trump’s risky decision to join Israel’s attacks on Iran.

Also at stake are Trump’s next steps in the Middle East, where diplomatic efforts could be required to prevent Iran from rebuilding its nuclear program.

Iran maintains that its atomic ambitions are for peaceful purposes, while U.S. and Israeli leaders have described the country’s nuclear program as the precursor to obtaining a nuclear weapon.

One of the targets of the U.S. attack was Fordo, where nuclear infrastructure is buried deep underground. The Israeli commission said in a statement that the bombing 鈥渞endered the enrichment facility inoperable.鈥�

The statement was distributed by the White House and the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

“The American strikes on Iran鈥檚 nuclear facilities, combined with Israeli strikes on other parts of Iran鈥檚 military nuclear program, have “set back Iran鈥檚 ability to develop nuclear weapons by many years,鈥� the statement said.

In addition, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei told Al Jazeera that there was significant damage from U.S. bombers.

鈥淥ur nuclear installations have been badly damaged, that鈥檚 for sure,鈥� he said.

The episode has triggered some of Trump’s longstanding vendettas against leaks and intelligence officials, who he has often viewed as a part of a 鈥渄eep state鈥� dedicated to undermining his agenda. He also lashed out at media outlets that reported on the classified assessment, describing them as 鈥渟cum” and 鈥渄isgusting.鈥�

Trump said questioning the effectiveness of the strikes was disrespectful to the military, which flew stealth bombers halfway around the world to attack the nuclear facilities with weapons designed to penetrate deep underground.

The reports, he said, were 鈥渧ery unfair to the pilots, who risked their lives for our country.”

One critical question is whether enriched uranium, which could be developed into fuel for a nuclear bomb, was moved out of facilities before the U.S. strikes.

鈥淚 believe they didn鈥檛 have a chance to get anything out, because we acted fast,鈥� Trump said. He added that “it鈥檚 very hard to move that kind of material, and very dangerous.鈥�

Classified briefings for lawmakers, originally scheduled for Tuesday, are now expected to take place on Thursday and Friday.