The United States and Israel emphasize the success of their attacks on Iran despite doubts about the bombing of nuclear plants.

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and his Israeli counterpart, Israel Katz, highlighted the success of their respective attacks against Iran and its nuclear program in June, as well as the strength of the military alliance between the two countries, during a meeting in Washington on Friday.

During the opening remarks at the meeting, Hegseth congratulated Katz on "Operation Rising Lion," the June 13 attack on key atomic and military installations of the Ayatollah regime, which sparked the so-called "Twelve-Day War."

The US Secretary of Defense emphasized that this was an operation "that has changed the region and the world," and that it "exemplifies why Israel is a model ally" due to its power and its ability to "recognize the collective security threats we face."

Hegseth also mentioned Operation Midnight Hammer, which Washington launched seven days later against three key Iranian uranium processing centers, insisting that the action "obliterated" the facilities, a comment he directed at the assembled media, who, he said, "don't seem to get it."

Experts and organizations such as the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) have failed to confirm that Midnight Hammer significantly undermined Iran's nuclear program, despite the Trump administration's insistence that the operation was successful.

Katz, for his part, said he was "impressed" by the US operation and thanked Trump for his determination to support Jerusalem during the "Twelve Day War."

"Together we have destroyed the Iranian nuclear program; I tell everyone," Katz reaffirmed, also addressing the media gathered in the Pentagon briefing room.

"Our common goal remains to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear program and mass-producing missiles," the Israeli minister added, concluding that the two countries have "a very close alliance" and will continue to "strengthen" it.

Hegseth added that both military operations "now provide incredible opportunities" for the region and expressed hope that Iran will choose "peace."

"We stand firmly with Israel and are committed to strengthening its right to self-defense," the Pentagon official said.

Katz's visit to Washington comes at a time of heightened efforts to achieve a 60-day ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, with the extent of the Israeli military deployment key to advancing negotiations that also seek the release of hostages held by the Islamist group.

It also coincides with a report published today by Axios that the director of the Israeli Mossad, David Barnea , also visited the US capital this week, where he met with the special envoy for the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, with the aim of having Washington help convince third countries to accept the controversial plan to receive hundreds of thousands of Palestinians from Gaza.

Despite Trump's claims of complete success, several US media outlets have reported a more confusing picture.

The latest to cast doubt on the outcome of the attack was an NBC News report on Friday, which reported a military damage assessment indicating that only one of the three sites was substantially destroyed.

According to NBC, which cited five current and former U.S. officials with knowledge of the matter, the other two sites are repairable and potentially capable of resuming uranium enrichment activities in the coming months.