TEHRAN – Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Aragci said recent US airstrikes have caused serious damage to the facility, but the full scope remains unknown.
“No one knows exactly what happened with Fordow. All we know so far is that the facility has been seriously and seriously damaged,” Araqchi told CBS News in an interview aired Tuesday. He added that Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization (AEOI) is assessing the damages and that the report will be submitted to the government.
US President Donald Trump joined the Israeli war with Iran on June 24, dropping a bunkerbuster bomb at the Fordau facility and firing cruise missiles at two other Iranian nuclear sites, Esfahan and Natanz. The attack landed Trump’s airstrikes, Al Udeid Air Force Base in Qatar, considered illegal under international law, and is the most important US base in West Asia.
Since then, Trump has been in full swing to prove to some Democrats and Republican lawmakers that his attacks “eliminate” Iran’s nuclear sites, particularly Foldau.
When asked if Iran could resume uranium enrichment within a few months, Arachchi emphasized that its infrastructure may be damaged, but its knowledge and skills remained intact. “If this is our will and there will be a will there, we will be able to quickly repair the damages and make up for the lost time to advance again in this industry,” he said. “At this point, no one says the facility will remain as is. What’s still there is technology and know-how.”
Aragut also pointed out that Iran’s nuclear program has always been peaceful and calls it the source of “people’s pride and glory.” He reiterated Iran’s commitment to convince the international community of its peaceful intentions despite recent hostility.
“We will undoubtedly continue to convince the international community and the countries that are concerned that our nuclear program will remain absolutely at peace,” he said.
He also cited the religious order (fatwa) by the leaders of the Islamic Revolution. Ayatollah banned Ali Khamenei, which banned nuclear weapons on religious grounds, as further evidence of Iran’s peaceful stance.
The United States and Israel have launched attacks on Iran based on the claim that the country is heading towards the development of nuclear weapons. However, the Western intelligence agency had previously concluded that Iran lacked such intentions. This is also supported by the IAEA report, which has not been found to have evidence of nuclear weaponization.