Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran will not abandon its nuclear program despite severe damage from US airstrikes last month. He told Fox News that uranium enrichment is currently halted due to serious damage to key facilities, but insisted Iran cannot give up enrichment. Araghchi called enrichment a national pride and a major achievement of Iranian scientists, highlighting its importance to Iran’s sovereignty and technological progress.
He emphasized that any future nuclear deal must include Iran’s right to enrich uranium on its own soil. Araghchi said Iran’s Atomic Energy Organisation is still carefully assessing the extent of damage to nuclear material and infrastructure caused by the strikes on June 22. These US airstrikes targeted three key nuclear sites, including the heavily fortified Fordow underground uranium enrichment facility near Tehran, as part of a broader campaign supporting Israel’s regional actions.
US President Donald Trump praised the attacks as a decisive success that “completely destroyed” the sites, though some intelligence reports indicate the damage was less extensive than claimed. Araghchi stressed that Iran’s nuclear technology is domestically developed and cannot simply be wiped out by bombings. He also confirmed Iran’s missile program will continue, emphasizing that Iran has a significant arsenal to defend itself amid escalating regional conflicts and repeated Israeli attacks on its missile bases.
Araghchi announced that Iran will hold fresh talks with Germany, France, and the United Kingdom in Istanbul on Friday regarding its nuclear program and the possibility of reviving diplomatic negotiations. He said Tehran remains open to confidence-building measures to prove its program’s peaceful nature, but direct talks with the United States are not currently planned. Iran insists that US sanctions must be lifted as part of any deal.
Regarding Iran’s Supreme Leader, Araghchi reassured that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is in good health despite rare public appearances amid the rising tensions. These remarks come as Iran faces mounting international pressure and regional instability linked to its nuclear ambitions and involvement in Middle Eastern conflicts.