Iran’s foreign minister said Tehran will not halt uranium enrichment or negotiate over its missile program, warning that any new Israeli attack would have “bad consequences,” Al Jazeera reported on Saturday.
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Iran had managed the June war with Israel effectively and prevented it from spreading to the wider region, according to the Qatari network. He said Iran was fully prepared for any new confrontation and warned that Israel would face “another defeat” if fighting resumed.
Araghchi said Iranian nuclear sites were damaged in the war but its enrichment technology remained intact, with nuclear materials still at the bombed facilities.
He said Iran would not accept Western pressure and was ready for indirect talks with Washington to reach what he called a fair agreement on its nuclear program. Tehran was willing to address international concerns, he added, but would not make concessions after being attacked.
His remarks came a day after Egypt said it had urged both Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency to end the standoff over inspections of damaged nuclear sites. Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said he conveyed the appeal to Araghchi and IAEA chief Rafael Grossi in separate calls aimed at reviving cooperation.
Iran suspended full cooperation with the UN watchdog after the June war with Israel and the United States, which struck several nuclear facilities. Under a post-war law, inspections now require approval by Iran’s Supreme National Security Council and exclude access to the bombed sites.
Western powers accuse Tehran of hiding military dimensions to its program, while Iran insists its nuclear work is peaceful.
Tensions with Washington have sharpened after US President Donald Trump ordered the first American nuclear weapons tests in more than three decades. Araghchi called the move a regressive and irresponsible step and said it showed what he called US hypocrisy for condemning Iran’s nuclear work while restarting its own testing.
