Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has confirmed that the US bombing of Iran’s Fordow nuclear facility inflicted “serious and heavy” damage, though the full extent remains under assessment.
In an interview with CBS News, Iranian FM stated, “No one knows exactly what has happened at Fordow, but based on current information, the site has suffered serious and substantial damage.”
He added that Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization is conducting a thorough evaluation of the damage and will submit a detailed report to the government.
This confirmation comes after The Washington Post reported that intercepted Iranian communications initially appeared to downplay the impact of the US strikes.
US President Donald Trump, however, claimed the weekend airstrikes had “completely and totally obliterated” Iran’s nuclear capabilities. Despite this, US officials acknowledged that a complete assessment of the damage would take time.
The US military launched coordinated airstrikes early Sunday, targeting three Iranian nuclear sites, including Fordow, using more than a dozen 30,000-pound bunker-buster bombs. The strikes are being closely monitored to determine the extent to which Iran’s nuclear ambitions have been disrupted.
In a press conference following the strikes, senior US defense officials maintained that no intelligence had suggested Iran had relocated critical nuclear materials or equipment prior to the attack.
President Trump was reportedly monitoring the developments closely, as tensions between Washington and Tehran reach new heights amid the escalating standoff over Iran’s nuclear program.
