The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) believes Iran’s nuclear facilities suffered significant damage as a result of the Israeli and American strikes and that Tehran’s nuclear program has been set back by years.

IDF Chief Spokesman Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin gave the assessment at a press briefing on Wednesday, June 25, though he cautioned that it is still early and the results of the strikes are undergoing evaluation.

U.S. President Donald Trump has described the strikes as causing “total obliteration” to the nuclear sites, pushing back on one early American intelligence assessment that key elements of the program had survived.

Iran has played down the damage caused by the strikes and said it will not abandon its nuclear program, denying that it seeks to build a bomb and saying that it is pursuing civilian energy.

But Iran had stockpiles of highly enriched uranium, close to the level necessary to build a nuclear weapon and far beyond the needs of nuclear energy.

This is a breaking news story. Updates to follow.