Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the country still has the experts, technology and equipment to restart uranium enrichment despite damage to its facilities.
He confirmed in an interview with the Financial Times newspaper that Tehran had been preparing to activate a site near Isfahan when it was hit in U.S. strikes toward the end of the 12-day war with Israel.
Araghchi said he did not know the location of Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile, which had been relocated before the U.S. military intervention ordered last month by President Donald Trump.
Newsweek has contacted the U.S. State Department and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) for comment.
Why It Matters
Negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program remain stalled following strikes by Israel and the United States. The bombing of key nuclear facilities has deepened Iran’s mistrust of Washington and reinforced its resolve to continue enrichment.
What To Know
“Buildings can be rebuilt. Machines can be replaced, because the technology is there. We have plenty of scientists and technicians who used to work in our facilities,” Araghchi said. “But when and how we restart our enrichment depends on the circumstances.”
Western and Israeli officials said the strikes seriously damaged Iran’s nuclear sites but did not destroy them, only delaying its program. Trump previously said the U.S. had hit and “completely obliterated” the fortified underground facilities at Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan.
Iran says its nuclear program is peaceful and for civilian energy use, but international observers believe the country has enriched uranium far beyond what is needed for non-nuclear purposes.