Retired Air Force Brig. Gen. Blaine Holt told Newsmax on Tuesday that it's possible Iran will regroup and build a secret nuclear site after the United States' weekend strikes on its Natanz, Fordo, and Isfahan nuclear enrichment plants.
"It's very, very difficult, but it is doable," Holt said on "The Record With Greta Van Susteren."
"What you're saying is doable and in Iran and in Afghanistan, my sources – very, very reliable folks — one of them on the ground in Afghanistan will tell you they are seeking WMD [weapons of mass destruction] weapons production in northwestern Afghanistan, that is for sure.
"But are they married up? Are they collaborating in a big way? We don't know. We've got to go learn that and then we've got to go find out are we exposed here at home with dirty bombs or something of the like when we've had a porous border for four years?"
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Tuesday that Iran's ability to create nuclear weapons has been "obliterated" by the bunker-buster bombs deployed by the U.S. military on Saturday.
"Based on everything we have seen, and I've seen it all, our bombing campaign obliterated Iran's ability to create nuclear weapons," Hegseth said. "Our massive bombs hit exactly the right spot at each target and worked perfectly. The impact of those bombs is buried under a mountain of rubble in Iran. So, anyone who says the bombs were not devastating is just trying to undermine the president and the successful mission."
While heading to a NATO summit Thursday in The Hague, President Donald Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One that a nuclear weapon is the furthest thing from the Iranian regime's mind.
Asked about the damage assessment of the strikes on Iran's nuclear sites, Holt said there are several ways to determine how effective they were.
"The satellite pictures are a part of it, they're a big part," he said. "But what is required is a lot of sensors. Thermal spectral sensors, you have human resources on the ground, you have Mossad people on the ground. And then we have, of course, radiological sensors," Holt said, referring to Israel's intelligence agency.
"What we need to assess now is, we're pretty confident that we have gotten after serious amounts of capability to involve yourself in enrichment of uranium," he continued. "So, the ability to do that looks to be severely damaged from what we know so far, there's more to come. But what we're very concerned with now is where is the fissile material? Do we have the radiological signs that it's buried under the rubble?
"Or were those trucks that were seen just days earlier essential in getting that fissile material out?" he added. "And if it's out, where is it and who's got it? China? Russia? That's OK. If it's Afghanistan, that's really worrisome."
GET TODAY NEWSMAX+:
NEWSMAX is the fastest-growing cable news channel in America with more than 30 million people watching!
Reuters Institute reports NEWSMAX is one of the top news brands in the U.S.
You need to watch NEWSMAX today.
Get it with great shows from Rob Schmitt, Greta Van Susteren, Greg Kelly, Carl Higbie, Rob Finnerty – and many more!
Find the NEWSMAX channel on your cable system – Go Here Now
BEST OFFER:
Sign up for NEWSMAX+ and get NEWSMAX, our streaming channel NEWSMAX2 and our military channel World at War.
Find hundreds of shows, movies and specials.
Even get Jon Voight's special series and President Trump's comedy programs and much more!
Watch NEWSMAX+ on your smartphone or home TV app.
Watch NEWSMAX anytime, anywhere!
Start your FREE trial now: NewsmaxPlus.com
Nicole Weatherholtz ✉
Nicole Weatherholtz, a Newsmax general assignment reporter covers news, politics, and culture. She is a National Newspaper Association award-winning journalist.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.