U.S. President Donald Trump stated late Monday that removing enriched uranium from Iran will be a "long and difficult" process following the destruction of the country's nuclear infrastructure last year.
In a post on his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump claimed that Operation "Midnight Hammer" resulted in the "complete and total obliteration" of what he termed Iran's "nuclear dust" sites. He noted that the physical state of the facilities now makes the extraction of nuclear materials a massive logistical challenge.
Operation Midnight Hammer was a major U.S. military strike launched on June 22, 2025. The operation involved 125 aircraft, including B-2 stealth bombers, which targeted three primary Iranian nuclear sites Fordow (Uranium enrichment plant) Natanz (Nuclear facility) Isfahan (Nuclear technology center)
Pentagon reports and satellite imagery from the time confirmed severe damage to these underground facilities. President Trump has frequently used the term "nuclear dust" to describe the debris and residual enriched uranium left in the wake of these "bunker-buster" strikes.
In the same post, the President criticized major U.S. media outlets, accusing them of failing to give military pilots proper credit. "Fake News CNN and other corrupt media networks... are always trying to belittle them—LOSERS!" he wrote.
These comments come as the international community looks toward a potential second round of talks mediated by Pakistan. While Trump has expressed hope for a deal, he warned of "dire consequences" if Iran fails to reach an agreement regarding its remaining nuclear material and ambitions.
