Retired Brigadier General Mark Kimmitt praised the Trump administration’s use of “deception and trickery” before the airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear program, calling the strategy both fascinating and effective. Speaking to CNN’s Anderson Cooper, Kimmitt expressed surprise over the two-week pause prior to the strikes, questioning what negotiations could have been expected during that time. He likened the approach to a Trump-style deal: “He’s trying to make a deal to buy an apartment, but all of a sudden, the apartment was destroyed. So where’s the negotiation?” Kimmitt said the deception likely saved American lives by preventing further conflict.

Regarding the bomb damage assessment, Kimmitt explained that U.S. intelligence assets—including satellites, communications intercepts, and human intelligence—are currently focused on evaluating damage at the Fordow nuclear site, which is deeply buried inside a mountain. Cooper asked about the difficulty of assessing damage without ground forces inside the facility. Kimmitt agreed it’s challenging, noting that without special forces or direct access, officials might only get about a 10% accurate picture from satellite imagery and intercepted communications. He cautioned that while the strikes caused damage, the facility was probably not destroyed, suggesting a re-attack may be necessary. He emphasized that the assessment teams face pressure in reporting to the president whether the attack was fully successful, adding, “We’ll just have to wait and see when that information comes in to the president—what his next action is going to be.”