Trump claims satellite images show ‘monumental damage’ at Iranian nuclear sites - but is that true?published at 13:46 British Summer Time
Benedict Garman
BBC Verify senior journalist

Donald Trump took to his Truth Social earlier today, external to claim that "Monumental Damage was done to all Nuclear sites in Iran, as shown by satellite images. Obliteration is an accurate term!"
At BBC Verify, we've had access to many high resolution and detailed satellite images from companies like Maxar and Planet Labs, which have enabled us to estimate what was struck, where, and how many times.
But because of the nature of the so-called 'bunker buster' bombs used by the US military - they detonate deep underground, rather than near the surface - it's not clear from satellite imagery alone how much damage was done to their subterranean targets.
President Trump's own military chiefs have been open about this.
When asked about a damage assessment, external, Gen Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said: “It would be way too early for me to comment on what may or may not still be there."
Meanwhile, Rafael Mariano Grossi, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), has said "At this time, no one, including the IAEA, is in a position to have fully assessed the underground damage at Fordo".
But he also said: "Given the explosive payload utilised and the extreme vibration-sensitive nature of centrifuges, very significant damage is expected to have occurred."
Defence analysts we've consulted have echoed these sentiments. Analysts at Janes, a defence intelligence company, tell us that the only people who will be able to ascertain how much damage has occurred at those sites are “on the ground in Iran”.
“And even they will likely not know until they’ve sifted through the rubble."