The B-2 bombers have returned to their US base, but questions about the success of their airstrikes last weekend hang in the air.

President Donald Trump is pushing back hard against a leaked preliminary intelligence report, suggesting the audacious bombing raid only set Iran’s nuclear ambition back “by months”.

“It’s destroyed… Iran will not have nuclear. We blew it up. It’s blown to kingdom come,” Mr Trump told a news conference.

Read more: Iran and NATO summit latest updates

A statement from CIA director John Ratcliffe backed that up. He said: “[The] CIA can confirm that a body of credible intelligence indicates Iran’s nuclear programme has been severely damaged by the recent, targeted strikes.

“This includes new intelligence from a historically reliable and accurate source/method that several key Iranian nuclear facilities were destroyed and would have to be rebuilt over the course of years.”

But Democrats say the president was claiming Iran‘s underground facilities had been “obliterated” long before any intelligence had been received.

Arizona senator Mark Kelly, who flew 39 combat missions in the first Gulf War, said: “He’s just saying that because he wants that to be the narrative.

“He said it the night of the strike, without any information, not even satellite imagery, and certainly without any information about what happened underneath 200 feet of rock and granite and dirt.”

“The likelihood of something underground like that being obliterated is incredibly low,” he added.

Senator Kelly blamed Mr Trump for Iran’s enrichment growing from “less than 4% to, public reporting, 60%”, accusing him of “chucking the Obama deal out the window”.

The leaking of the classified report from the Pentagon and subsequent debate has enraged US defence secretary Pete Hegseth.

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How much damage has been done to Iran’s nuclear facilities?
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“If you want to make an assessment of what happened at Fordow [nuclear site], you better get a big shovel and go really deep because Iran’s nuclear programme is obliterated,” Mr Hegseth said.

“Those that dropped the bombs precisely in the right place know exactly what happened when they exploded, and you know who else knows? Iran.”

The White House is railing against what it calls the “fake news media” for reporting the content of the leaked report.

But the success of a military operation has become a battle of political narratives in Congress.

That will last longer than a 12-day war because the truth lies buried, quite literally, deep underground.

The head of the CIA has said a “body of credible intelligence” indicates that Iran’s nuclear programme was “severely damaged” by a US operation last weekend.

Director John Ratcliffe revealed that information from a “historically reliable and accurate source” suggests several key sites were destroyed – and will take years to rebuild.

This contrasts with a recently leaked report from the US Defence Intelligence Agency that cast doubt on the effectiveness of Operation Midnight Hammer.

An assessment obtained by several media outlets concluded that bombing of three nuclear facilities might only have set back Iran’s capabilities by a few months.

Follow the latest developments

Donald Trump has refuted this leak in the strongest possible terms – describing it as “fake news” and insisting the military’s targets were “totally obliterated”.

He added: “This was a devastating attack, and it knocked them for a loop.”

The US president went on to reveal that defence secretary Pete Hegseth will be holding a “major news conference” later today that will be “interesting and irrefutable”.

On Truth Social, he claimed that the “Great American Pilots” involved in the operation were “very upset” by the leaked report.

“After 36 hours of dangerously flying through Enemy Territory, they landed, they knew the Success was LEGENDARY, and then, two days later, they started reading Fake News by CNN and The Failing New York Times,” he wrote.

The White House has highlighted an Israeli statement that suggested Tehran’s nuclear efforts have now been delayed for a few years, with Iran’s foreign ministry also confirming the facilities have suffered significant damage.

But drawing reliable conclusions about the impact of the bunker buster bombs remains difficult – especially only days after they took place.

Jeffrey Lewis, a professor of non-proliferation at the Middlebury Institute, said: “If it’s too early to know, why is Trump saying it’s obliterated? Either it’s too early to know, or you know.”

Read more:
NATO chief refers to Trump as ‘daddy’
Why did US attack avoid some nuclear sites?
Mapping the strikes in Israel and Iran

In other developments, Mr Trump has confirmed the US will be holding talks with Iran next week.

However, he said he doesn’t think an agreement to curtail its nuclear programme is needed, because Iran’s facilities are now too badly damaged.

“They’re not going to be doing it anyway. They’ve had it,” he claimed.

A fragile ceasefire between Israel and Iran has held for a second day – with the skies over major cities quiet overnight.

The president joined fellow world leaders at a NATO summit in The Hague yesterday, where members agreed to increase defence spending to 5% of GDP.

The Honda Prologue continues to surprise, ranking among the top ten most leased vehicles (gas-powered or EV) in the US in the first quarter. It was the only EV, outside of Tesla’s Model Y and Model 3, that made the list.

Honda Prologue EV is one of the most leased vehicles

After launching the Prologue in the US last March, Honda’s electric SUV took off. In the second half of the year, it was the second-best-selling electric SUV, trailing only the Tesla Model Y.

The Prologue remains a top-selling EV in the US this year, with over 13,500 units sold through May. That’s not too bad, considering it only sold 705 through May of last year.

According to a new Experian report (via Automotive News), Honda’s success is being driven by ultra-affordable lease rates. In the first quarter, nearly 60% of new EV buyers in the US chose to lease, up from just 36% a year ago.

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Three EVs ranked in the top ten most leased vehicles in Q1, including the Tesla Model Y, Model 3, and Honda Prologue.

Tesla’s Model Y and Model 3 took the top two spots, while the Honda Prologue ranked number seven. Those who leased Tesla’s Model 3 paid $402 per month, Honda Prologue lessees paid $486 a month.

Given the average loan rate was $708 a month for those who bought it, it’s no wonder nearly 90% chose to lease. Under 9% chose to buy, while less than 2% paid cash.

The discounts are piling up, but for how long?

To give you a better idea, the average monthly payment for a new vehicle lease in the US in the first quarter was $595.

With over $20,000 in discounts, Honda’s luxury Acura brand is selling a surprising number of EVs in the US. The nearly $65,000 Acura ZDX is sold for under $40,000 on average in May, according to Cox Automotive’s EV Market Monitor report for May.

The trend is primarily thanks to the $7,500 federal EV tax credit, which is being passed on to customers through leasing.

With the Trump administration and Senate Republicans aiming to kill off federal subsidies, the savings could soon disappear. If the Senate’s recently proposed bill is passed, the $7,500 credit would expire within 180 days. It would not only make electric vehicles more expensive, but it would also put the US further behind China and others leading the shift to electrification.

Some automakers, including GM, are expected to continue offering the incentives. “GM has been very competitive on the incentives on their end, and that is not scheduled to end.”

After outselling Ford, GM’s Chevy is now the fastest-growing EV brand in the US through May. Chevy is starting to chip away at Tesla’s lead, largely thanks to the new Equinox EV, or “America’s most affordable +315 range EV,” as GM calls it.

According to Xperian, those who leased a new Chevy Equinox EV in Q1 paid $243 less than those who financed it. The electric Equinox stood out in Cox Automotive’s EV Market Monitor report with an average selling price under $40,000, even without incentives.

The Chevy Equinox EV remains one of the most affordable EVs on the market. Starting at just $34,995, the base LT FWD model offers an EPA-estimated range of 319 miles.

After Hyundai cut lease prices earlier this month, the 2025 IONIQ 5 might just take the cake. You can now lease the 2025 Hyundai IONIQ 5 (now with a built-in NACS port) for as low as $179 per month.

Looking to test out some of the most popular EVs for yourself? With Honda Prologue leases as low as $259 per month and Chevy Equinox EV leases starting at just $289 per month, the deals are hard to pass up right now while the incentives are still here. You can use our links below to find models in your area.