Defiant Iran Says No to New U.S. Nuclear Talks, Minimizes Impact of Strikes

Iran has denied plans to resume nuclear talks with the United States following the recent 12-day conflict with Israel. This statement comes in direct contradiction to claims made by President Donald Trump, who had suggested negotiations would recommence next week.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, speaking on state television, categorically rejected what he termed “speculation” about new negotiations. “I would like to state clearly that no agreement, arrangement, or conversation has been made to start new negotiations,” Araghchi said. “No plan has been set yet to start negotiations.”

This development follows earlier reports that the United States had conducted strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities. President Trump has claimed these strikes “obliterated” key sites, including the underground Fordo uranium enrichment facility. However, Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, has disputed this assessment, stating that the damage was “nothing significant.”

U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth asserted that massive GBU-57 bunker-buster bombs were used on Fordo and another underground site, with Tomahawk missiles targeting a third facility. CIA Director John Ratcliffe stated that several facilities would need to be “rebuilt for years.” However, a leaked classified assessment suggested the damage may be less severe, potentially delaying Iran’s nuclear progress by only a few months.

The Israeli military has stated that Iran’s nuclear sites took a “significant” blow, while cautioning it was “still early” to fully assess the damage. Meanwhile, Iran has consistently denied seeking nuclear weapons, defending what it calls its “legitimate rights” to peaceful atomic energy use.

This raises important questions about the true extent of the damage to Iran’s nuclear program and the potential for future negotiations. The evidence suggests that the situation remains fluid, with conflicting reports and assessments from various sources.