Iran assesses serious damage to nuclear sites
TEHRAN: Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi revealed on Thursday that the recent 12-day conflict with Israel inflicted 'serious' damage on the country's nuclear sites. Authorities have begun evaluating the full extent of the destruction as diplomatic efforts to seek reparations gain momentum.
'A detailed assessment of the damage is being carried out by experts from the Atomic Energy Organization (of Iran),' Araghchi stated during an interview with state television. He emphasised the urgency of addressing the issue, noting, 'Now, the discussion of demanding damages and the necessity of providing them has been placed as one of the important issues on the country's diplomatic agenda.'
The minister further clarified that the extent of the destruction requires thorough analysis, adding, 'These damages are serious, and expert studies and political decision-making are underway at the same time.' The remarks come amid claims by former U.S. President Donald Trump that American airstrikes targeting Iran's nuclear facilities in support of Israel had 'obliterated' key installations.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Malaysian Reserve
an hour ago
- Malaysian Reserve
Iran voices 'serious doubts' over Israel commitment to ceasefire
TEHRAN – Iran warned Sunday that it had little faith in Israel's commitment to a fragile ceasefire that ended the most intense and destructive confrontation between the two foes to date. The 12-day war erupted on June 13, when Israel launched a bombing campaign in Iran that killed top military commanders and scientists linked to its nuclear programme. Tehran responded with ballistic missile attacks on Israeli cities. Israel said its aim was to keep the Islamic republic from developing an atomic weapon — an ambition Tehran has consistently denied. The fighting derailed nuclear talks between Iran and the United States, which later joined its ally Israel's campaign with strikes on Tehran's nuclear facilities. 'We did not start the war, but we have responded to the aggressor with all our power,' Iranian armed forces chief of staff Abdolrahim Mousavi was quoted as saying by state television, referring to Israel. 'We have serious doubts over the enemy's compliance with its commitments including the ceasefire, we are ready to respond with force' if attacked again, he added, six days into the ceasefire. The conflict rattled the already shaky relationship between Iran and the UN's International Atomic Energy Agency. Iran has rejected the IAEA's request to inspect its bombed nuclear sites, accusing its chief Rafael Grossi of 'betraying his duties' by failing to condemn the Israeli and US attacks. Iranian lawmakers voted this week to suspend cooperation with the agency. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi called Grossi's request to visit the targeted facilities 'meaningless' and 'possibly malign in intent'. Tehran also cited a June 12 IAEA resolution criticising Iran's lack of nuclear transparency as a pretext used by Israel to justify launching its offensive the following day. The backlash drew a sharp rebuke from Germany and Argentina, Grossi's home country. 'I commend Director General Rafael Grossi and his team for their unrelenting professionalism. Threats against them from within Iran are deeply troubling and must stop,' German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul wrote on X. Argentina's foreign ministry said it 'categorically condemns the threats against him coming from Iran'. Neither specified which threats they were referring to, but Iran's ultra-conservative Kayhan newspaper recently claimed documents showed Grossi was an Israeli spy and should be executed. Speaking to US broadcaster CBS on Sunday, Iranian ambassador to the United Nations Amir Saeid Iravani denied there was any threat to nuclear inspectors in Iran, insisting they were 'in safe conditions' but their work was suspended. The United States carried out strikes on three key facilities used for Iran's atomic programme. In the days after, Trump said the United States would bomb Iran again 'without question' if intelligence indicated it was able to enrich uranium to military grade. Speaking to CBS on Saturday, Grossi said Iran could 'in a matter of months' return to enriching uranium. Questions remain as to how much damage the US strikes did to Iran's nuclear programme, with Trump and his officials insisting it had been 'obliterated'. On Sunday, however, The Washington Post reported that the United States had intercepted calls between Iranian officials who said the damage was less than expected. That followed an early 'low confidence' US military intelligence report that said the nuclear programme had been set back months, not years. Israel has said Iran's programme was delayed by years, while Tehran has downplayed the damage. The IAEA said Iran had been enriching uranium to 60 percent, far above the levels needed for civilian nuclear power, although Grossi previously noted there had been no indication before the strikes that Iran was working to build an atomic weapon. Israel has maintained ambiguity about its own nuclear arsenal, neither officially confirming nor denying it exists, but the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute has estimated it has 90 nuclear warheads. Iran's health ministry says at least 627 civilians were killed and 4,900 injured during the war with Israel. Retaliatory missile attacks by Iran on Israel killed 28 people, Israeli authorities say. During the war, Iran arrested dozens of people it accused of spying for Israel. Iran's parliament on Sunday voted to ban the unauthorised use of communications equipment, including tech billionaire Elon Musk's Starlink satellite internet service, said the official news agency IRNA. On Sunday, Washington's envoy to Turkey said the Iran-Israel war could pave the way for a new Middle East. 'What just happened between Israel and Iran is an opportunity for all of us to say: 'Time out. Let's create a new road',' Ambassador Tom Barrack, who is also the US special envoy to Syria, told the Anadolu state news agency. 'The Middle East is ready to have a new dialogue, people are tired of the same old story,' he added. –AFP
The Star
6 hours ago
- The Star
Intercepted Iranian communications downplay damage from US attack, Washington Post reports
FILE PHOTO: A satellite image shows damage to the tunnel entrances of the Isfahan Nuclear Technology Research Center, following U.S. airstrikes amid the Iran-Israel conflict, in Isfahan, Iran, June 22, 2025. Maxar Technologies/Handout via REUTERS/File Photo WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Intercepted Iranian communications downplayed the extent of damage caused by U.S. strikes on Iran's nuclear program, the Washington Post reported on Sunday, citing four people familiar with classified intelligence circulating within the U.S. government. A source, who declined to be named, confirmed that account to Reuters but said there were serious questions about whether the Iranian officials were being truthful, and described the intercepts as unreliable indicators. The report by the Post is the latest, however, to raise questions about the extent of the damage to Iran's nuclear program. A leaked preliminary assessment from the Defense Intelligence Agency cautioned the strikes may have only set back Iran by months. President Donald Trump has said the strikes "completely and totally obliterated" Iran's nuclear program, but U.S. officials acknowledge it will take time to form a complete assessment of the damage caused by the U.S. military strikes last weekend. The White House dismissed the report by the Post. "The notion that unnamed Iranian officials know what happened under hundreds of feet of rubble is nonsense. Their nuclear weapons program is over," White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt was quoted as saying by the Post. In an interview broadcast on Sunday on Fox News, Trump reiterated his confidence that the strikes had destroyed Iran's nuclear capabilities. "It was obliterated like nobody's ever seen before. And that meant the end to their nuclear ambitions, at least for a period of time," he said on the "Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartiromo" program. (Reporting by Phil Stewart and Katharine Jackson; Editing by Chris Reese)
New Straits Times
8 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Germany slams Iran's threats against UN nuclear watchdog
FRANKFURT: Berlin urged Iran on Sunday to stop making "threats" against the UN's nuclear watchdog after Tehran rejected its request to visit nuclear facilities bombed by Israel and the United States. Tehran has accused Rafael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, of "betrayal of his duties" for not condemning the Israeli and US strikes on Iran's nuclear sites, and Iranian lawmakers this week voted to suspend cooperation with the agency. "I commend director general Rafael Grossi and his team for their efforts and their unrelenting professionalism. Threats against them from within Iran are deeply troubling and must stop," German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said on X, without specifying further. "I call on the Iranian authorities to fully cooperate with the IAEA and to ensure the safety of its personnel," he added. On Friday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on X that "Grossi's insistence on visiting the bombed sites under the pretext of safeguards is meaningless and possibly even malign in intent." Iran has said it believes an IAEA resolution on June 12 that accused Iran of ignoring its nuclear obligations served as an "excuse" for the war Israel launched on June 13. Wadephul had already urged Iran on Thursday to keep working with the IAEA, calling the vote by Iranian lawmakers to halt cooperation with the agency "a totally wrong signal."--AFP
