‘We will do it again’: Trump threatens new strikes on Iran
Tehran has vowed to move ahead with its nuclear program despite threats from Tel Aviv and Washington
US President Donald Trump threatened on 22 July to launch a new attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities, hours after Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi called on Washington to agree to a fair deal including a removal of sanctions on the Islamic Republic.
On his Truth Social platform, Trump quoted the comments Araghchi made during a Fox News interview on Monday about “very severe” damage and destruction at nuclear sites bombed by Israel and the US during the 12-day war in June.
Of course they are [destroyed], just like I said, and we will do it again, if necessary!” the president said.
“Fake News CNN should immediately fire their phony “reporter” and apologize to me and the great pilots who “OBLITERATED” Iran’s nuclear sites. CNN is a major ratings loser, as is MSDNC!” he added, referring to a previous CNN report citing a US intelligence assessment which said Iran’s nuclear program was only set back by “months.”
The assessment contradicted Trump’s statements after the US attack that the nuclear facilities were “obliterated.” A newer US intelligence assessment cited by NBC News concluded that only one of the three Iranian nuclear enrichment facilities targeted in last month’s US airstrikes was seriously damaged.
“We are open to talks, not direct [talks] for the time being. If they are coming for a win-win solution, I am ready to engage with them. I mean we are ready to do any confidence-building measure needed to prove that the Iranian nuclear program is peaceful and will remain peaceful forever and Iran will never go for nuclear weapons,” Araghchi told Fox News’s Bret Baier on 21 July.
“And in return, we expect them to lift their sanctions. This is a win-win game,” he added.
The foreign minister noted the “severe” damage and destruction at nuclear sites, but said that the “technology is there.”
"We cannot give up enrichment because it is an achievement of our own scientists," Araghchi added. Washington had demanded in previous talks that Tehran accept a “zero enrichment” deal.
Israel started its war on Iran on 13 June in the middle of nuclear talks between Tehran and Washington.
Israeli officials told US media at the time that Trump was pretending to oppose strikes on Iran while knowing in advance about Tel Aviv’s plan to attack, adding that “We had a clear US green light,” and that the “goal was to convince Iran that no attack was imminent.”
Tehran insists its nuclear program is entirely peaceful, and has vowed to continue enriching uranium.
Israel has publicly threatened to renew strikes on the Islamic Republic.
On Tuesday, Tehran is set to hold discussions with Russia and China regarding the Iranian nuclear program and the possibility of new sanctions.
Later this week, Iran will hold nuclear talks with EU states, which have recently threatened to reimpose UN sanctions on Iran in line with the “snapback mechanism” of the 2015 nuclear deal that Trump scrapped in 2018.
European signatories of the 2015 deal have continued to hold Iran to the agreement despite Washington’s withdrawal.