Araghchi: Heavy Damage at Fordow; Access to Facilities Still Unavailable
Tehran - BORNA - In an interview with CBS News, Sayyed Abbas Araghchi, the Foreign Minister of the Islamic Republic of Iran, said: “Nuclear energy has become a science and technology in Iran. It is clear that technology cannot be destroyed by bombs. Therefore, if our determination is to resume progress in the nuclear industry — and it is — then this resolve ensures that all the damage can be repaired quickly. This is not because the facilities are untouched, but because the technology remains intact and is embedded in our scientists.”
When asked about reports suggesting the Iranian government is accelerating engineering efforts to regain access to Fordow, Araghchi responded: “No one has exact information about what has happened at Fordow. As far as I know, the damage is very significant and very serious. Still, the Atomic Energy Organization is evaluating the situation, and the result will be reported to the government.”
Responding to another question about whether Iranian inspectors have been able to access Fordow, he said: “This is a matter for the Atomic Energy Organization to answer. They are currently assessing the situation.”
When asked about President Trump’s repeated claims that Iran’s nuclear facilities were “obliterated” in U.S. strikes, Araghchi said: “It appears that the damages are very heavy and serious. Again, I do not have detailed information, but for now, it seems they are unusable until a thorough evaluation is conducted to determine whether they can be restarted and how long that might take — if at all.”
Asked whether he agrees with IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi’s assessment that Iran might resume enrichment within a few months, Araghchi replied: “His assessment is based on Iran’s technological capabilities in enrichment. From that angle, yes, I think he is right. Our enrichment industry is indigenous and not imported. It cannot be destroyed through bombing.”
He reiterated: “Nuclear energy has become a science and technology in Iran. It is clear that technology cannot be destroyed by bombs. Therefore, if our determination is to resume progress in the nuclear industry — and it is — then this resolve ensures that all the damage can be repaired quickly. This is not because the facilities are untouched, but because the technology remains intact and is embedded in our scientists.”
In response to whether Iran will indeed restart enrichment if it has the capacity to do so in a few months, Araghchi said: “We are assessing the situation following the Israeli and American attacks. Our policies are being drafted. The reality is we have worked very hard for our enrichment program. Our scientists have worked tirelessly. Our people have endured much. For over 20 years, we’ve faced severe sanctions over enrichment — we were taken to the UN Security Council, our scientists were assassinated, and our facilities were sabotaged. Yet throughout these years, we have strived to keep our enrichment program peaceful, and we’ve tried to prove that to the international community.”
He added: “We even entered into an agreement that was celebrated as a diplomatic achievement by the entire world — but unfortunately, the United States withdrew from it.”
The Iranian Foreign Minister continued: “We endured all those years. Enrichment has become a matter of national pride and honor for Iranians. Now that we’ve fought a war over it — a war that lasted 12 intense days — it is not something that can simply be set aside. This is a source of national pride. It will certainly be preserved, and we will work hard to defend it.”
He emphasized again: “Our nuclear program remains peaceful. We have no intention of moving toward nuclear weapons. These weapons are forbidden based on the fatwa of the Supreme Leader and have no place in our security doctrine. I hope the world — especially the West — understands and accepts this: The Iranian people have the right to benefit from their nuclear rights for peaceful purposes, and they will not back down.”
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