(MENAFN- Kashmir Observer) Srinagar- President Donald Trump signaled Thursday that he may delay a decision on striking Iran's nuclear facilities, citing a“substantial chance” for renewed negotiations - a notable shift just days after weighing a direct U.S. military intervention.
The apparent flip-flop comes amid the seventh day of open warfare between Israel and Iran, and just as a Bloomberg satellite investigation casts doubt on the effectiveness of Israeli military strikes to dismantle Iran's fortified nuclear infrastructure.
A Bloomberg investigation, supported by satellite imagery and nuclear experts, revealed that Israel's week-long air assault on Iran's nuclear infrastructure has caused only limited, repairable damage. The report raises significant doubts about the effectiveness of any military option short of a full-scale U.S. operation, potentially informing Trump's change in posture.
Speaking via White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, Trump said he is“closely watching developments” and weighing U.S. involvement in what is now an all-out war between Iran and Israel - a war that has entered its seventh day with escalating casualties on both sides.
The centerpiece of Trump's military dilemma is Iran's Fordow enrichment facility, buried under over 100 meters of mountain rock near Qom. It is considered impervious to all but America's GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator - the largest conventional bomb in the U.S. arsenal. Israel lacks the aircraft needed to deliver such munitions, and Trump is aware that even U.S. involvement would require major escalation.
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Meanwhile, Israel's latest retaliatory strike came hours after Iranian missiles struck Soroka Medical Center in Beersheba and nearby buildings, wounding at least 240 people. In response, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz issued a chilling threat toward Iran's Supreme Leader:“This man absolutely should not continue to exist.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he trusted Trump to“do what's best for America” but emphasized ongoing U.S. support:“I can tell you that they're already helping a lot.”
The broader strategic picture remains grim. The Bloomberg analysis, based on satellite images taken up to June 17, shows Natanz and Isfahan facilities - key to Iran's nuclear fuel cycle - remain largely functional. While Israel's strikes damaged some external electrical components, experts say repairs could be completed in months.
“They did damage but left a lot intact,” said Robert Kelley, former IAEA inspector and U.S. satellite analysis lab director. Kelley emphasized the sophistication of Iran's nuclear defenses:“Any competent designer will have backup power. The problem is that Iran prepared for this decades ago.”
At Isfahan, reportedly struck on June 15, imagery showed only minor impacts. More alarmingly, the 409-kilogram stockpile of near weapons-grade uranium stored there is now unaccounted for. UN inspectors confirm they have not had access to the site since the strikes began on June 13.
“In a time of war, all nuclear sites are closed. No inspections, no normal activity can take place,” IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi told Bloomberg. Iran has since moved its enriched uranium under“special measures,” potentially storing it in as few as 16 small canisters - making detection and tracking exceedingly difficult.
According to Iranian estimates, 657 people - mostly civilians - have died in Iran, and over 2,000 have been wounded. Israel reports 24 dead and hundreds injured with widespread material damage. Iran, according to one estimate, has so far pounded Israel with 450 missiles and 1,000 drones. Military censorship bars any reports about damage to 'sensitive' sites in Israel.
Meanwhile as military tensions crest, a diplomatic path may be forming. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi landed in Geneva for emergency talks with the EU and foreign ministers from the UK, France, and Germany. British Foreign Secretary David Lammy, after meeting U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Middle East envoy Steve Witkoff at the White House, said:“A window now exists within the next two weeks to achieve a diplomatic solution.”
That timeline aligns with Trump's stated decision window - a window now shaped not only by geopolitics, but also by the hard reality revealed in satellite images: Iran's nuclear infrastructure was built to survive, and it has.
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