Amid mounting international claims — particularly from the United States — that Iran’s nuclear infrastructure was almost entirely dismantled in recent precision strikes, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has strongly rejected the notion that Tehran’s nuclear program has been left crippled.
Speaking in a televised interview on Iranian State TV on Thursday, Araghchi insisted that the damage inflicted by recent U.S. and Israeli attacks was far from total and that Iran continues to possess substantial capabilities as well as negotiating leverage on the international stage.
“There was a clear assumption on the part of the Americans and their allies,” Araghchi said, “that they could bomb our nuclear facilities into oblivion and thereby strip us of all strategic assets.
They thought that by doing so, they could drag us to the negotiating table in a state of weakness and surrender, with nothing left to bargain with. But that assumption has proven to be wrong.
Their strikes did not achieve their full objectives. Our nuclear infrastructure, though affected, was not destroyed. And our hands are far from empty.”
Araghchi further addressed the European powers involved in the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), cautioning them against relying on punitive mechanisms such as the “snapback” clause to pressure Iran into concessions.
“Just as the military strikes failed to dismantle our capacity, so too will diplomatic tools like the snapback mechanism fail to corner us. The idea that Europe now holds all the cards is a miscalculation.
In reality, if the snapback is used blindly or unfairly, it will backfire, leaving Europe with no effective leverage and undermining any chance at meaningful diplomacy,” he warned.
The snapback mechanism, embedded in the 2015 nuclear accord, allows for the automatic reimposition of UN sanctions if Iran is found in violation of its nuclear commitments.
However, the United States lost its right to trigger the mechanism after former President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew from the agreement during his first term. This decision continues to complicate Washington’s role in future negotiations.
Despite the heightened tensions and military confrontation, Araghchi signaled that Iran remains open to dialogue — but only under conditions that preserve its sovereignty and national interests. He outlined what Tehran would consider the essential framework for any future nuclear agreement.
“If the path toward diplomacy is to remain open,” he said, “then any new or renewed nuclear agreement must be built upon three fundamental pillars.
First, Iran must retain the right to enrich uranium on its soil — this is non-negotiable and rooted in our sovereign rights.
Second, all sanctions imposed on Iran — whether unilaterally by the U.S. or multilaterally — must be fully and verifiably lifted.
And third, Iran is prepared to reaffirm its longstanding commitment not to pursue nuclear weapons, a position grounded in our moral principles, strategic doctrine, and religious beliefs. This is not a concession — it is a reflection of who we are.”
Araghchi emphasized that if these three pillars are acknowledged and respected by negotiating partners, Tehran believes that a new agreement is not only possible but also practical.
“Once the foundational principles are agreed upon, the finer details can certainly be worked out through diplomatic channels. But without these elements, no negotiation will be meaningful or lasting,” he concluded.
His remarks mark a strategic counter-narrative to Western claims of a successful military setback for Iran, portraying the Islamic Republic not as a nation forced into submission, but as one that remains defiant, calculated, and conditionally willing to engage — on its terms.