The appraisal that Iran’s nuclear hopes had been set back 1 to 2 years by U.S. and Israeli bombings was the latest in a shifting series of pronouncements.

The Pentagon, which had said strikes “obliterated” Iranian nuclear sites, now puts the delay on Iran's nuclear ambitions at one to two years.

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