Iran’s foreign minister said talks with the United States are unlikely to resume soon, following US airstrikes on three major nuclear sites during the 12-day war with Israel, CBS News reported Monday.
“I don’t think negotiations will restart as quickly as that,” Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in his first interview with an American news outlet since the June airstrikes, when asked about President Donald Trump’s suggestion that talks could resume as soon as this week. “We will have to first ensure that America will not revert to targeting us in a military attack during the negotiations.”
However, he added, “The doors of diplomacy will never slam shut.”
Iran not backing down from enrichment, Araghchi says
Asked whether Iran would continue uranium enrichment, Araghchi said, “Our peaceful nuclear program has turned into a matter of national pride and glory. We have also gone through 12 days of imposed war; therefore, people will not easily back down from enrichment.”
US June strikes targeted Iran’s nuclear facilities at Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan. While US officials said the sites were “completely and totally obliterated,”, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), offered a more measured assessment. He told CBS News the facilities had sustained “significant destruction,” but Iran retained enough capacity to resume enrichment within months.
"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."
US warns against renewed enrichment
US President Donald Trump has said further enrichment activity could trigger additional strikes. Asked about the possibility, Araghchi said Iran was prepared for more attacks. “We showed and proved during this 12-day imposed war that we have the ability to defend ourselves, and we will continue to do so should any aggression be launched against us.”
Still, the White House said no new talks are officially scheduled. According to CBS, Araghchi did not offer a timeline for when diplomacy might resume. He said Iran still needed to evaluate the security situation and was not ready to return to negotiations “as quickly as that.”
