The new assessment contrasted with U.N. agency view that Iran could resume enriching uranium in a “matter of months.”

The Pentagon said on Wednesday that U.S. strikes 10 days ago had degraded Iran's nuclear program by up to two years, suggesting the U.S. military operation likely achieved its goals despite a far more cautious initial assessment that leaked to the public.

US airstrikes on Iran set back the country’s nuclear program by one to two years, a Pentagon spokesman said, adding to uncertainty around the status of the country’s facilities after President Donald Trump said they’d been obliterated.