Germany says Iran has crossed nuclear red lines, urges return to talks

Ali Shamkhani, a senior advisor to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, said Sunday that US airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities would not derail the country’s nuclear capabilities, adding that Iran retains the capacity and political resolve to respond.

“Even if nuclear sites are destroyed, the game isn’t over... enriched materials, indigenous knowledge, and political will remain,” Shamkhani said on X. “The initiative is now with the side that plays smart, avoids blind strikes. Surprises will continue!”

While it is clear that US airstrikes overnight hit Iran's underground enrichment facility at Fordow, it is still too early to determine the extent of the damage below ground, UN nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi told CNN in an interview on Sunday.

Russia, China, and Pakistan have put forward a draft UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire in the Middle East, Reuters reported, citing unnamed diplomats.

Ukraine on Sunday said that military strikes by the United States and Israel on Iran were justified as a means to prevent Tehran from developing nuclear weapons.

“Ukraine is convinced that Iran’s nuclear program must be stopped so that it never again poses a threat to the countries of the Middle East or any other state,” the Ukrainian foreign ministry said.

The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) said on Sunday it would form a ministerial contact group to engage with international and regional actors to support de-escalation efforts and “stop the aggression against Iran.”

In a joint statement following a meeting of foreign ministers in Istanbul, the 57-member group condemned “the aggression of Israel” but made no reference to overnight US strikes on Iran’s nuclear sites.

In a separate statement on Sunday, the OIC's General Secretariat expressed "deep concern" over US strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities.

"The US strikes are a dangerous escalation that could lead to heightened tensions and threaten regional security, peace, and stability," the statement read.