Iran admits US bombing has ‘heavily damaged’ Fordow nuclear site: ‘No one exactly knows what has transpired’

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi told CBS News that the US bombing of the Fordow nuclear facility has "seriously and heavily damaged" the facility.

"No one exactly knows what has transpired in Fordow. That being said, what we know so far is that the facilities have been seriously and heavily damaged," Araqchi said in the interview broadcast on Tuesday.

"The Atomic Energy Organization of the Islamic Republic of Iran... is currently undertaking evaluation and assessment, the report of which will be submitted to the government."

Intercepted Iranian communications downplayed the extent of damage caused by U.S. strikes on Iran's nuclear program, the Washington Post reported on Sunday, citing four people familiar with classified intelligence circulating within the U.S. government.

President Donald Trump has said the strikes "completely and totally obliterated" Iran's nuclear program, but U.S. officials acknowledge it will take time to form a complete assessment of the damage caused by the U.S. military strikes last weekend.