In a recent interview, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araguchi discussed the aftermath of a US strike that reportedly “destroyed” Tehran’s nuclear facility last month. He mentioned that despite this setback, Iran is not backing away from its uranium enrichment efforts.
“There’s serious damage, so yes, it stops for now. But we can’t abandon our enrichment pursuits because they reflect the work of our scientists. Beyond that, it’s about national pride,” Araguchi stated in a conversation with Fox News’ Brett Baier.
He further insisted that the facility was indeed destroyed.
During his appearance on “Special Report with Brett Baier,” Araguchi expressed confidence that Iran could rebuild its nuclear facilities and emphasized that Tehran would not halt its uranium enrichment.
“If the aim is to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons, that’s something we can manage,” Araguchi noted.
Officials, including President Trump, have claimed that US military actions completely obliterated three Iranian nuclear sites on June 21.
However, a recent intelligence evaluation reported by various outlets indicated that while the Fordow facility was largely destroyed, the Natanz and Isfahan facilities, which were not enriching uranium at the time, could potentially be reopened.
The Department of Defense contested this assessment, asserting that the June strike, conducted by B-2 bombers and Tomahawk missiles, effectively eliminated all three nuclear sites. Sean Parnell, the DoD’s chief spokesman, told reporters in early July that the Pentagon estimated Iran could resurrect its nuclear program within “a year or two.”
The conflict began with Israel attacking Iran on June 13, leading to a 12-day war that ended with a ceasefire on June 24.
Prior to the escalation, the US and Iran had completed five rounds of nuclear negotiations, though no agreement was reached, especially after Trump withdrew from the Obama-era agreement in 2018.
“This development is our own. It’s something we achieved independently. The technology exists, and our scientists are capable. We can rebuild the buildings and facilities,” Araguchi said.
He added, “I think these recent attacks have shown that our nuclear program doesn’t pose a military threat.”
