Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, on Thursday publicly admitted that the country’s nuclear sites sustained “significant and serious damages” in last weekend’s US airstrikes on three facilities, the first such official acknowledgement from Tehran. “The losses have not been small, and our facilities have been seriously damaged,” Araghchi said on Iran’s state television, confirming the full impact of Operation Midnight Hammer, reported the New York Times.The strikes, launched by US B-2 bombers using bunker-busting bombs, targeted Iran’s nuclear facilities at Fordo, Natanz, and Isfahan. Araghchi’s remarks contrasted sharply with Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who earlier in the day had dismissed US President Donald Trump’s claims of “obliteration” as “exaggerated.”While Khamenei insisted in a prerecorded video that the attacks “were unable to do anything important,” Araghchi painted a far more serious picture and also warned that Iran may end its cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). “Without a doubt, we are obliged to enforce this law,” he said, referring to a bill passed by hard-liners and approved by the Guardian Council that would suspend all collaboration with the UN nuclear watchdog.He added, “Our relationship with the agency will take a different shape,” and noted that a visit by IAEA chief Rafael Grossi “would not be welcomed” at this time. Iran has also hinted that it may no longer permit IAEA inspections and will stop filing monitoring reports, a move that has drawn global concern.Iran’s foreign ministry spokesperson Esmail Baghaei had earlier admitted the nuclear sites were “badly damaged.” Israeli military officials and American intelligence have similarly assessed that the strikes significantly degraded Iran’s nuclear program, with Brig Gen Effie Defrin stating it has been “set back by years.”US President Trump has defended the strikes, comparing them to the end-of-World War II atomic bombings in Japan. “I don’t want to use an example of Hiroshima or Nagasaki… but that was essentially the same thing. That ended that war. This ended the war,” he said.However, key questions remain unresolved. Iran has not revealed the fate of its 400 kilograms of enriched uranium, enough for nearly 10 nuclear bombs, nor has it confirmed the status of its advanced centrifuges. These details could be clarified by IAEA inspectors, should Tehran allow access.Analysts, including Sina Azodi of George Washington University, believe Tehran is using the confusion to its advantage. “Iran wants to keep everything in the dark… to play the diplomatic game of poker,” Azodi was quoted as saying by the New York Times.Despite Araghchi saying “no agreement has yet been reached” to resume talks, the White House has maintained a tone of cautious optimism. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt reiterated the administration’s commitment to diplomacy, saying, “The president wants peace. He always has… and we’re on a diplomatic path with Iran”.Talks are tentatively expected next week, with special envoy Steve Witkoff continuing behind-the-scenes negotiations, supported by regional partners like Qatar. However, Araghchi warned, saying, “Going through a war changes many realities… diplomacy must adjust itself to this new reality.”
