In a wide-ranging conversation on Fox News, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi underscored Tehran’s unwavering commitment to its uranium enrichment program, despite severe setbacks during last month's conflict with Israel.
Araghchi confirmed that a series of strikes by the U.S. and Israel inflicted "serious and severe" damage on Iran’s nuclear facilities, forcing a temporary halt. However, he stressed that allowing enrichment to languish is out of the question. "It is stopped because, yes, damages are serious and severe. But obviously we cannot give up enrichment because it is an achievement of our own scientists. And now, more than that, it is a question of national pride," he told host Bret Baier.
Beyond the technical setback, Araghchi offered a glimpse into Tehran’s diplomatic calculus. He reported that Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is in "good health" and signaled Tehran’s openness to further nuclear discussions with Washington—albeit indirectly "for the time being."
Prior to the flare-up, Iran and the U.S. had exchanged five rounds of talks under Oman’s mediation but remained deadlocked over how far Iran could progress its enrichment activities. A planned meeting on June 15 was scrapped once Israel launched its initial strikes, setting off a 12-day confrontation that ended in a ceasefire late last month.
On June 22, the U.S. joined the targeting of Iran’s nuclear sites, including the Fordow enrichment facility, as well as key installations in Isfahan and Natanz. While Washington and Tel Aviv warn that Iran was edging close to weapons-grade enrichment, Tehran insists its program is purely civilian. The UN’s nuclear watchdog has reported "no credible indication" of an active, coordinated weapons program in Iran, and Tehran remains a party to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, in contrast to Israel.
As Iran begins to assess repair timelines and plot its next moves, the standoff highlights the enduring tensions between national pride, scientific ambition, and global security. For a generation of young global citizens watching closely, the question is no longer if Iran will resume enrichment, but how quickly—and under what diplomatic conditions—it will return to the centrifuge floor.
Reference(s):
Iran cannot give up on nuclear enrichment: Iranian foreign minister
cgtn.com
