US strikes on Iran's Fordow did not destroy it but caused severe damage - NYT

Germany's Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul said on Sunday that Iran has crossed red lines regarding its nuclear program and must return to negotiations.

Preventing Tehran from obtaining nuclear weapons is a legitimate goal, Wadephul told German public broadcaster ARD, adding that European countries are ready to support possible talks between Iran and the United States.

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.