TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - U.S. President Donald Trump warned that Washington could strike Iran's nuclear facilities again if necessary. He delivered the warning via Truth Social on Monday night, July 21, following an interview conducted by Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi with Fox News.
In the interview, Araghchi stated that Iran's uranium enrichment program could not be stopped despite being damaged due to a U.S. airstrike last month. "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 said.
Trump then responded to the statement by writing, "Of course they are, just like I said, and we will do it again, if necessary!"
U.S. Strikes and Damage Evaluation
According to Euronews, on June 22, the U.S. military launched airstrikes on three of Iran's nuclear enrichment facilities: Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan. The strikes occurred amidst an armed conflict between Israel and Iran that lasted for 12 days.
Several days after a ceasefire was announced, Trump claimed that the strikes had completely and comprehensively destroyed Iran's nuclear program.
However, this claim was questioned after U.S. intelligence reports stated that the impact only delayed Iran's nuclear program for a few months. The White House denied the reports and called them "flat-out wrong."
Iran Won't Stop Enrichment
Araghchi confirmed that several of Iran's nuclear facilities suffered serious damage due to the airstrikes. "Our facilities have been damaged – seriously damaged," he said, adding that the level of damage is still being evaluated by the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran. The enrichment process was temporarily halted due to the damage.
Although Iran has repeatedly stated that it has no intention of making nuclear weapons, according to several security analysts, Tehran was estimated to be able to produce one nuclear weapon in a matter of days and several warheads within a few weeks before the airstrikes occurred.
Nuclear Negotiations Resumed
Meanwhile, Iran announced that it will resume negotiations with three European countries, namely the United Kingdom, France, and Germany (E3), in Istanbul next Friday. This will be the first round of meetings since the ceasefire with Israel was imposed at the end of last month, following a similar meeting held in the same city in May.
"The topic of the talks is clear, lifting sanctions and issues related to the peaceful nuclear program of Iran," said Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Esmail Baghaei.
Previously, Iran and the United States had undergone five rounds of nuclear negotiations mediated by Oman.
However, the talks failed to produce an agreement regarding the limit of uranium enrichment allowed. The sixth round, scheduled to be held in Muscat on June 15, was canceled after Israel launched a sudden attack on Iran on June 13, which then triggered a nearly two-week war.
Editor's Choice: Iran Says No Plan to Give up Nuclear Enrichment Despite "Serious Damage" to Facilities
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