Middle East Iran Acknowledges Major Damage to Nuclear Facilities Amid Strained Diplomacy

[Social Media]

 

Iran Acknowledges Major Damage to Nuclear Facilities Amid Strained Diplomacy

 

Iran’s foreign minister has publicly confirmed that recent bombings carried out by the United States and Israel caused “excessive and serious” damage to key nuclear infrastructure, marking one of the most candid admissions from Tehran regarding the scale of impact on its nuclear program.

 

Speaking on state television Thursday evening, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran is currently conducting a thorough assessment to determine the full extent of the damage. While Iran has often downplayed foreign strikes on its facilities in the past, Araghchi’s acknowledgment suggests the latest attacks have significantly disrupted the country’s nuclear ambitions.

 

“There has been excessive and serious damage,” Araghchi stated. “An evaluation is underway by our Atomic Energy Organisation, and the consequences are still being investigated.”

 

The foreign minister also made it clear that Iran has no intention of reengaging in stalled nuclear negotiations with the United States. A sixth round of talks had been on the table but was cancelled following a series of Israeli attacks on Iranian targets, which began earlier this month.

 

“I would like to state clearly that no agreement, arrangement or conversation has been made to start new negotiations,” Araghchi said. The cancellation signals a growing freeze in diplomacy between Tehran and Washington at a time when regional tensions are escalating and nuclear non-proliferation efforts are under immense strain.

 

Adding a note of ambiguity to the diplomatic deadlock, Araghchi said the Iranian government is evaluating the situation through the lens of national interest and hinted at a shift in diplomatic posture. “We are examining what is in the interest of the Iranian people,” he said. “Our approach to diplomacy will take a new form.”

 

He did not elaborate on what that new form might be, nor did he clarify whether it would involve closer alignment with allies such as Russia and China, or a more defiant posture toward the West. The lack of detail leaves Tehran’s intentions open to interpretation and raises questions about how the country plans to navigate its increasingly precarious international position.

 

The recent bombings are widely seen as part of a broader strategy by the US and Israel to disrupt Iran’s nuclear progress and send a strong signal about the consequences of moving closer to weapons-grade enrichment. Iran, meanwhile, has insisted its nuclear program remains peaceful and that it is the target of unjust aggression.

 

The comments from Araghchi mark a significant moment in the ongoing conflict over Iran’s nuclear ambitions, as they reflect not only the physical toll of military strikes but also the growing diplomatic rift that could push both sides further from any negotiated resolution.

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from BBC  2025-06-28

 

 

[dinsdale]

Wait! What? Can't wait for those who have Trump living rent free in their heads 24/7 that have been so vocal in previous threads to comment on this one. Here's a tip. 

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said the strikes did not "accomplish anything significant to disrupt Iran's nuclear programme...".

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cdjxy039ln8o

Of course you could also rehash the CNN story which has been well and truly debunked but I'm sure that won't stop you.

[Social Media]

UPDATE:

 

IAEA Chief Confirms Devastating Blow to Iranian Nuclear Facility Following U.S. Strike

 

IAEA Chief Confirms Devastating Blow to Iranian Nuclear Facility Following U.S. Strike

 

Rafael Grossi, the director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), has confirmed that the Fordo uranium enrichment facility in Iran has suffered extensive physical damage following a U.S. military strike, rendering its centrifuges non-operational. “There was no escaping significant physical damage,” Grossi said, underscoring the severity of the attack.

 

The U.S. strike, involving powerful bunker-busting bombs, was part of a broader bombing campaign that also targeted nuclear sites in Natanz and Isfahan. These three locations, according to Grossi, were central to Iran’s uranium enrichment and conversion activities. “So the attacks that began on June 13 resulted in very significant physical damage to three sites: Natanz, Isfahan, and Fordo,” he said. “Very significant"

 

Inspectors from the IAEA, who had been monitoring Iran’s nuclear program, were on-site at Fordo until just a day before the attacks.

 

“We didn’t know, of course, that these attacks were going to take place, but we were able to take inventory, day by day,” Grossi noted. Since then, access to the sites has been impossible, forcing the agency to rely on satellite imagery and other remote-sensing tools. Still, Grossi emphasized the reliability of their conclusions.

 

“We know quite a lot. We know these facilities inside and out. That’s the difference between us and the rest of the world. Because we’re there. It was our daily job, I would say, to inspect all these facilities,” he said. “So we can draw fairly precise conclusions by looking at satellite images and other images regarding the type of damage and the consequences of what happened.”

 

Centrifuges at Fordo — high-precision machines essential to the enrichment of uranium — are particularly susceptible to vibrations and physical shock. The force of the bombs, Grossi explained, would have severely compromised their delicate operation. “We already know that these centrifuges are no longer operational,” he said. “There was no escaping significant physical damage. So we can come to a fairly accurate technical conclusion.”

 

Despite the extent of the destruction, Grossi stopped short of declaring that Iran’s nuclear program had been completely eliminated. “It would be too much to assert that Iran’s nuclear program had been wiped out,” he said. “There is very considerable damage. The nuclear program has definitely suffered enormous damage.”

 

He echoed sentiments expressed by former U.S. President Donald Trump, who recently told reporters at a NATO summit in the Netherlands that the Fordo site had been “obliterated.” C.I.A. Director John Ratcliffe also claimed the strikes had “severely damaged” Iran’s nuclear capabilities. Grossi added, “Perhaps decades, depending on the type of activity or objective. It’s true that with these reduced capacities, it will be much more difficult for Iran to continue at the same pace as before.”

 

Iran has responded by stating its intention to implement protective measures for its already enriched uranium. “Iranian officials had told me that they would take ‘protective measures’ for the uranium they had already enriched,” Grossi confirmed.

 

Grossi also offered insights into the nature of the Fordo facility itself. “I know the Fordo facility. It’s a network of tunnels where different types of activities took place,” he said. “What we saw in the images and analyzed more or less corresponds to the enrichment hall where the bombs hit their targets.”

 

In conclusion, while some elements of Iran’s nuclear infrastructure remain intact, the damage to key facilities has been overwhelming. As Grossi put it, “What I can tell you, and I think everyone agrees on this, is that there is very considerable damage.”

 

  Adapted by ASEAN Now from RFI  2025-06-28

[dinsdale]

This must be fake news.....well according to all those on the previous threads that believed the initial CNN story based on selective pieces of a leaked classified document which was of low confidence. My guess is we're not going to be hearing too much from the psychotic Trump haters on this thread. 

[Mike_Hunt]

8 minutes ago, dinsdale said:

This must be fake news.....well according to all those on the previous threads that believed the initial CNN story based on selective pieces of a leaked classified document which was of low confidence. My guess is we're not going to be hearing too much from the psychotic Trump haters on this thread. 

What say you @BLMFem

[daveAustin]

3 hours ago, Social Media said:

Iran’s foreign minister has publicly confirmed that recent bombings carried out by the United States and Israel caused “excessive and serious” damage to key nuclear infrastructure

Could be a bluff 😉

[dinsdale]

It would seem, so far, that the only response from those with Trump living rent free in their heads will be the thumbs down emoji. Sadly their conformation bias bubble that Trump was lying about this has been burst. Of course what has been posted on this thread has already been dealt with previously but argued against by those who can't help themselves but to be totally negative about anything Trump does.

[jimmybcool]

Need to remember that the war between Israel and Iran is in a cease fire.  Not officially over.  If Israel has any sense they would demand access to the nuclear sites to assure themselves that the nuclear program is well and truly destroyed before ending all hostilities.  

[Social Media]

An off topic troll post has been removed along with another post claiming this was fake news

[dinsdale]

50 minutes ago, daveAustin said:

Could be a bluff 😉

I see someone agrees with your comment. This is probably the same poster trolling the thumbs down and doesn't realise your comment is one of irony hence the wink emoji.

[dinsdale]

Still haven't heard from the anti-Trump brigade other than negative emojis. Why is this I wonder. Been proven wrong? Have to admit the mission was successful? Have to admit Trump was right and Fordow was indeed taken out and CNN was irresponsible in their initial reporting that you believed? Have to admit this is a massive set back to Iran nuclear weapons programme? I look forward to your thumbs down emoji as this is all you can respond with in response to this comment and this thread.

[Chomper Higgot]

5 minutes ago, dinsdale said:

Still haven't heard from the anti-Trump brigade other than negative emojis. Why is this I wonder. Been proven wrong? Have to admit the mission was successful? Have to admit Trump was right and Fordow was indeed taken out and CNN was irresponsible in their initial reporting? Have to admit this is a massive set back to Iran nuclear weapons programme? I look forward to your thumbs down emoji as this is all you can respond with in response to this comment and this thread.

I see you are almost at the point of begging for attention.

 

To put you out of your misery try this.

 

Has Iran confirmed the attack ‘obliterated’ Iran’s nuclear program or made any statement on the measures Iran took in response to Trump running his mouth and given them a heads up?

[Bkk Brian]

1 hour ago, Chomper Higgot said:

I see you are almost at the point of begging for attention.

 

To put you out of your misery try this.

 

Has Iran confirmed the attack ‘obliterated’ Iran’s nuclear program or made any statement on the measures Iran took in response to Trump running his mouth and given them a heads up?

Has Iran confirmed the attack ‘obliterated’ Iran’s nuclear program

 

Has Iran confirmed...............lol

 

You need to do a little better than that.

[dinsdale]

6 minutes ago, Bkk Brian said:

Has Iran confirmed the attack ‘obliterated’ Iran’s nuclear program

 

Has Iran confirmed...............lol

 

You need to do a little better than that.

Indeed. Although the nuclear sites have been wiped out as have many of the top nuclear scientists, top echelon military and revelutionary guard personnel taken out, the entirety of it's air force destroyed, most of it's missile launchers reduced to wreckage and Israel having total control of Iranian airspace, the Supreme Leader has claimed victory over Israel.

[atpeace]

2 hours ago, daveAustin said:

Could be a bluff 😉

I'm waiting also.  She/he is witty and obviously intelingent but lacks crtitical thinking when it it comes to her political ideology.  Iran innitially stated littel damage and how somebody could take that as fact is insane.  It as if some people wish Iran to have nuclear power.  Do they even grasp the idiocy of this?

[atpeace]

26 minutes ago, Bkk Brian said:

Has Iran confirmed the attack ‘obliterated’ Iran’s nuclear program

 

Has Iran confirmed...............lol

 

You need to do a little better than that.

No he can't.  This is him at his best and it only gets much worse. I'm sure he backed the USA involvement in Ukraine.  What is the death toll of that war?  If  the peace-loving nation of Iran or its proxies were able to kill many more Israelis it would be wonderful in his demented mind.