WASHINGTON, July 2 (Reuters) - 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.

The U.S. bombing of Iran's key Fordow nuclear site has "seriously and heavily damaged" the facility, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said in an interview with CBS News. "No one exactly knows what has transpired in Fordow.

Pentagon reports Iran's nuclear facilities were "completely obliterated" in June strikes, offering a more optimistic assessment than earlier estimates while Iran acknowledges damage.

The arrests are a sign of the uncertainty felt by Iran's security establishment after the Israeli and U.S. attacks. Authorities have escalated a security crackdown on alleged Mossad agents following the 12-day conflict in which Israel attacked nuclear and military sites across the country,

Asghari, 35, is among tens of thousands of Afghans whom Iran has deported home in the past few weeks, in the fallout of a conflict the United Nations says risks further destabilising Afghanistan, already battling a humanitarian crisis.