Iran will continue with the development of its nuclear program, especially uranium enrichment, despite the “serious damage” suffered by some of its facilities from US bombings, declared the Iranian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Abbas Araghchi.
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In support of the Israeli offensive against Iran, the United States bombed the underground uranium enrichment facility in Fordow on June 22 and the nuclear plants in Isfahan and Natanz.
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Iran acknowledges that the damages were serious
“We stop because, yes, the damages are serious, but obviously, we cannot give up enrichment because it is an achievement of our own scientists”, explained Araghchi in an interview with the conservative and Donald Trump ally media outlet Fox News. “And now, it is also a matter of national pride”, he added.
On Saturday, the President of the United States insisted on his theory that the attacks by his army had “completely destroyed” the three nuclear sites and threatened to bomb Iran again if it resumed its nuclear program.
Iran wants indirect negotiations with the United States
When asked if enriched uranium had been saved, the minister stated that he lacked “detailed information” on the matter, but that the Iranian atomic agency is working to assess the situation of “the enriched material”.
Iran is scheduled to meet on Friday with Germany, France, and the United Kingdom in Istanbul to discuss UN control of its nuclear program.
The minister said that Tehran is “open” to holding indirect talks with Washington. “We are open to discussions, but not direct ones at the moment,” he said on Fox News, to reach an agreement on the measures to be taken to “demonstrate that the nuclear program is peaceful” in exchange for the United States lifting the sanctions on Iran.
Araghchi also pointed out that the country still “has a good number of missiles” to defend itself despite Israel attacking weapon depots.