US caused 'serious damage' to Iran's nuclear sites: Foreign minister

(NewsNation) — U.S. strikes caused significant, "serious damage" to atomic sites successful Iran, the country's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Thursday.

It was the archetypal authoritative acknowledgement from Iran regarding the harm caused by "Operation Midnight Hammer," which Trump and his apical medication officials person said obliterated 3 of Iran's atomic sites, contempt a conflicting preliminary harm report.

"I person to say, the losses person not been small, and our facilities person been earnestly damaged," Araghchi said successful an interrogation with Iran's authorities television.

Araghchi's appraisal echoes that of President Donald Trump and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth —and departs from the communicative pushed by Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

In a prerecorded video Thursday, Khamenei said Trump had "exaggerated" harm done by the U.S., adding connected societal media that America "achieved nothing" successful the attacks.

What's adjacent for Middle East?

With Iranian atomic capabilities reportedly dismantled, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said a "victory" implicit Iran opens up accidental for "a melodramatic enlargement of the bid agreements."

Both Washington and Tehran person said determination is nary gathering presently scheduled for atomic talks, though the White House has claimed it is keeping connection lines open.

Historically, galore of these lines person gone done Qatar, which has besides played a cardinal mediation relation betwixt Hamas and Israel implicit the war successful Gaza.

Qatar is hopeful the U.S. volition assistance broker long-term peace successful the region, an advisor to the Qatari premier curate told NewsNation successful an exclusive interview.

Congress receives unafraid briefing connected Iran

Messaging astir harm to Iranian atomic sites remains mostly accordant from the Trump administration, but immoderate lawmakers aren't convinced.

Senators emerged from an quality briefing precocious Thursday, offering antithetic interpretations of the aforesaid classified material.

"The president was deliberately misleading the nationalist erstwhile helium said the programme was obliterated. It is definite that determination is inactive important capableness and important equipment," said Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn.

But Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said "obliterated is simply a bully word" to picture the attacks' impacts: "The programme was obliterated astatine those 3 sites, but they inactive person ambitions."

House members volition person their ain quality briefing Friday.

As the White House prepares to bounds intelligence-sharing with Congress, the FBI has continued its investigation into who leaked a classified defence quality bureau report.

When asked whether the Defense Intelligence Agency's preliminary study would ever beryllium made public, property caput Karoline Leavitt told NewsNation: "I don't deliberation this medication is going to get into the wont of sharing classified, top-secret information."

NewsNation's Anna Kutz contributed to this report.