The US bombing of Iran’s key Fordo nuclear site has “seriously and heavily damaged” the facility, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi said in an interview with CBS News broadcast Tuesday.
“No one exactly knows what has transpired in Fordo. That being said, what we know so far is that the facilities have been seriously and heavily damaged,” Aragchi said in the interview, which took place in Iran and was broadcast in two parts, on Monday and Tuesday.
“We need to wait and see if they are able to be relaunched or if they will be relaunched,” he said.
“The Atomic Energy Organization of the Islamic Republic of Iran is currently undertaking evaluation and assessment, the report of which will be submitted to the government,” he said through a translator. CBS did not say if it provided the translator.
US President Donald Trump has said the US strikes “completely and totally obliterated” Iran’s nuclear program, but US officials acknowledge it will take time to form a complete assessment of the damage caused by the US military strikes last month.
Intercepted Iranian communications downplayed the extent of damage caused by the strikes, the Washington Post reported Sunday, citing four people familiar with classified intelligence circulating within the US government.
The top Iranian envoy also addressed the question of talks over a nuclear deal, saying that while discussions may not be held immediately they were still an option so long as the US did not carry out any further strikes during talks.
“In order for us to decide to reengage, we will have to first ensure that America will not revert back to targeting us in a military attack during the negotiations. And I think with all these considerations, we still need more time,” he said.
However, Araghchi also insisted that “the doors of diplomacy will never slam shut.”
Trump said Monday he was not offering Iran anything nor engaging in talks since the country’s nuclear facilities were “totally obliterated.”
However, US special envoy to the Mideast Steve Witkoff has continued direct and indirect communications with Iranian officials, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said, when asked for an update on an ostensible meeting between the sides that Trump said would take place this week.
When asked about UN nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi’s assessment that Iran likely will be able to begin to produce enriched uranium “in a matter of months,” despite damage to several nuclear facilities, Araghchi said Tehran would be able to “make up for lost time.”
“One cannot obliterate the technology and science for enrichment through bombings,” Araghchi said. “If there is this will on our part — and the will exists — in order to once again make progress in this industry, we will be able to expeditiously repair the damages and make up for the lost time.”
He said that while the facilities may not be intact “the technology and knowhow is still there.”
When pushed on whether Tehran would return to enriching uranium, Araghchi said Tehran was “in the process of assessments… and developing our policies.”
“We have done a lot for our enrichment industry to thrive. We have borne a lot. Our people have borne a lot,” he said. “And now Iran’s peaceful nuclear program has turned into a matter of national pride and glory. We definitely continue to convince the international community and the countries concerned that our nuclear program will remain absolutely peaceful.
“We have also gone through 12 days of imposed war in addition to all that we have done for this nuclear program. Therefore, people will not easily back down from enrichment.”
The US and Israel said the strikes were intended to prevent Iran from attaining nuclear weapons and to radically degrade its ballistic missile capabilities.
Iran, which openly seeks to destroy Israel, claims its nuclear program is solely geared toward civilian use, but it has enriched uranium to 60 percent purity, above levels needed for civilian usage and a short step from the level needed for weapons production, obstructed international inspectors from checking its nuclear facilities, and expanded its ballistic missile capabilities.
Israel says it holds intelligence information indicating that Tehran was taking active steps to build a bomb. It has also warned that it could take further military steps if it sees Iran attempting to rebuild its nuclear and missile programs.