Iran on Thursday denied reviews that it plans to renew nuclear talks with the U.S. following the tip of a 12-day battle with Israel, accusing Washington of exaggerating the effectiveness of its current strikes.
The most intense confrontation so far between Israel and Iran disrupted ongoing negotiations, however U.S. President Donald Trump mentioned talks would resume subsequent week.
His particular envoy, Steve Witkoff, expressed optimism for “a comprehensive peace agreement.”
However, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi dismissed what he known as “speculation” about Tehran’s return to the negotiating desk, saying such claims “should not be taken seriously.”
“I would like to state clearly that no agreement, arrangement or conversation has been made to start new negotiations,” he mentioned on state tv. “No plan has been set yet to start negotiations.”
Araghchi’s denial got here as Iranian lawmakers handed a binding invoice suspending cooperation with the U.N. nuclear watchdog. It adopted Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s accusation that Trump had exaggerated the affect of U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear websites.
In a televised speech – his first look since a cease-fire within the battle with Israel – Khamenei hailed what he described as Iran’s “victory” over Israel, vowed by no means to yield to U.S. strain and insisted Washington had been dealt a humiliating “slap.”
“The American president exaggerated events in unusual ways, and it turned out that he needed this exaggeration,” Khamenei mentioned, rejecting U.S. claims that Iran’s nuclear program had been set again by a long time.
The strikes, he insisted, had completed “nothing significant” to Iran’s nuclear infrastructure. Araghchi, for his half, known as the harm “serious” and mentioned an in depth evaluation was underway.
Trump mentioned key services, together with the underground Fordo uranium enrichment website, had been “obliterated” by American B-2 bombers.
Doubts stay about whether or not Iran quietly eliminated some 400 kilograms (880 kilos) of enriched uranium from its most delicate websites earlier than the strikes, doubtlessly hiding nuclear materials elsewhere within the nation.
But posting on his Truth Social platform, Trump dismissed such hypothesis, saying: “Nothing was taken out… too dangerous, and very heavy and hard to move!”
He added that satellite tv for pc pictures confirmed vans on the website solely as a result of Iranian crews had been trying to defend the ability with concrete.
Khamenei rejected the declare, saying, “The Islamic Republic won, and in retaliation dealt a severe slap to the face of America.”
Both sides have claimed victory. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu known as it a “historic win,” whereas Khamenei mentioned Iran’s missile retaliation had introduced Israel to the brink of collapse.
U.S. protection debate
In Washington, the true affect of the strikes has sparked sharp political and intelligence debate.
A leaked labeled evaluation urged the harm to Iran’s nuclear program could also be much less extreme than initially claimed, presumably delaying progress by only some months.
That contrasts with statements from senior U.S. officers.
CIA Director John Ratcliffe mentioned a number of services would have to be “rebuilt over the course of years.”
Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth accused the media of misrepresenting the operation.
He mentioned the United States used huge GBU-57 bunker-buster bombs on Fordo and one other underground website, whereas submarine-launched Tomahawk missiles focused a 3rd facility.
“President Trump created the conditions to end the war, decimating – choose your word – obliterating, destroying Iran’s nuclear capabilities,” Hegseth mentioned.
Netanyahu says Iran ‘thwarted’
Following waves of Israeli assaults on nuclear and navy websites and retaliatory missile fireplace from Iran since mid-June – the deadliest exchanges between the 2 nations so far – the U.S. bombed three key Iranian atomic services.
Initial intelligence reviews, first revealed by CNN, urged the strikes didn’t destroy important elements and delayed Iran’s nuclear program solely by months.
The Israeli navy mentioned Iran’s nuclear websites had taken a “significant” blow however cautioned that it was “still early” to evaluate the harm totally.
Netanyahu mentioned Israel had “thwarted Iran’s nuclear project,” warning that any try by Iran to rebuild it could be met with the identical willpower and depth.
Iran has persistently denied in search of a nuclear weapon whereas defending its “legitimate rights” to the peaceable use of atomic power.
It has additionally mentioned it’s prepared to return to nuclear negotiations with Washington.
French President Emmanuel Macron advised journalists after an EU summit in Brussels on Thursday that U.S. strikes on Iran’s nuclear services had been “genuinely effective.”
But Macron warned the “worst-case scenario” can be if Tehran exited the worldwide nonproliferation treaty meant to restrict the unfold of nuclear weapons.
Iran mentioned Israeli strikes killed at the least 627 civilians, in response to its Health Ministry.
Iran’s retaliatory assaults on Israel killed 28 individuals, in response to Israeli authorities.
Source: www.dailysabah.com