Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has revealed that enriched nuclear material at the country’s nuclear sites is currently buried under debris following recent US and allied airstrikes. He clarified that Tehran has no immediate plans to recover the material, describing the affected sites as heavily damaged.
Araghchi explained that while the possibility of retrieving the material exists in the future, there is no active program or timeline for such an operation. He added that any eventual recovery would likely involve oversight by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to ensure transparency.
The minister also highlighted that Iran had previously offered to dilute enriched uranium during diplomatic talks to show it had no intention of producing nuclear weapons. Those negotiations, however, fell apart amid rising hostilities.
The airstrikes, carried out in recent months, targeted Iran’s nuclear and military facilities, leaving stockpiles of enriched uranium trapped under rubble. The attacks caused extensive structural damage, complicating any potential recovery efforts.
Araghchi reiterated that Iran is not considering a ceasefire and is prepared to defend itself for as long as necessary. He emphasized that foreign inspectors will not be granted unrestricted access to the bombed sites until political conditions allow, making verification efforts challenging.
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