Bangladesh, June 25 -- The dramatic US airstrikes on Irans nuclear infrastructure, carried out on June 22, were intended as a bold show of force – a decisive blow meant to eliminate the Islamic Republics nuclear capabilities. Launched with President Donald Trumps declaration that Irans “nuclear weapons program is completely destroyed,” the campaign immediately drew global attention and domestic political praise. But less than a week later, a very different picture is emerging from within the US intelligence community, raising questions not only about the actual impact of the strikes but also about the political messaging behind them.

According to an early Pentagon intelligence assessment leaked to CBS News, the strikes ...