Iran firmly rejected claims that nuclear talks with the United States would resume following its 12-day war with Israel. On Thursday, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi stated unequivocally that no discussions were planned, dismissing any notion of renewed diplomacy with Washington. The denial followed President Donald Trump’s assertion that dialogue would begin next week, with Special Envoy Steve Witkoff expressing hopes for a comprehensive peace agreement.
Araghchi denounced the reports as “speculation” and made clear on state television that Tehran had made “no agreement, arrangement or conversation” regarding future negotiations. On the same day, Iranian lawmakers passed a binding bill suspending cooperation with the U.N. nuclear watchdog, further hardening Tehran’s position.
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, speaking publicly for the first time since the June ceasefire with Israel, ridiculed the effectiveness of U.S. airstrikes. Khamenei accused President Trump of inflating the impact of the bombings on Iran’s nuclear program, describing the damage as negligible. He called the American response “an exaggeration,” asserting Iran had dealt “a severe slap” to the United States in retaliation.
Contrary to Khamenei’s claim, Iran’s own Foreign Minister Araghchi admitted that the nuclear sites had sustained “serious” damage, with a detailed assessment underway. The strikes targeted Iran’s key nuclear facilities at Fordo, Natanz, and Isfahan using GBU-57 bunker-buster bombs and submarine-launched Tomahawks. President Trump stated Fordo had been “obliterated” and dismissed the notion that Iran removed enriched uranium prior to the attacks.
Despite Iranian denials, questions persist in U.S. intelligence circles about whether Iran secretly relocated over 400 kilograms of enriched uranium before the bombings. A leaked assessment suggested the damage might have set Iran’s nuclear program back by only a few months, a view publicly rejected by CIA Director John Ratcliffe and Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth. Hegseth reaffirmed the operation’s effectiveness, crediting President Trump for delivering a decisive blow to Iran’s nuclear ambitions.
