Trump Says Will Attack Nuclear Sites Again After Iran Vows To Continue Uranium Enrichment
US President Trump has threatened Iran that Washington will bomb again if necessary Image Courtesy: RNA
A month after attacking 3 nuclear sites in Iran, United States (US) President Donald Trump has warned that Washington would attack once again “if necessary”. Showing solidarity with Israel, the US in June carried out a coordinated military strike on 3 Iranian nuclear facilities— Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan.
“We will do it again, if necessary,” US President Trump stated as a clear warning to Iran after the West Asian country’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi acknowledged that 3 nuclear facilities had been badly damaged in US strikes last month. Iran’s top diplomat said that the “damages are serious and severe”.
What ignited Trump’s latest warning to Iran?
The US President’s threat to Iran came on Monday (July 21) evening after the country’s foreign minister spoke up on their nuclear enrichment programme, suggesting Iran won’t give up. In an interview with Fox News, Araghchi said Tehran cannot give up its nuclear enrichment programme, even though it was damaged in US bombings last month.
“It is stopped because, yes, damages are serious and severe. But obviously, we cannot give up on enrichment because it is an achievement of our own scientists. And now, more than that, it is a question of national pride,” Araghchi said.
Referring to the same, Trump took to his Truth Social platform, saying “Of course they are, just like I said, and we will do it again, if necessary!”
Why did US bomb Israel on June 22?
The bombings by the US on 3 nuclear facilities in Iran was a clear sign of Trump’s support to Israel. The attacks marked a critical turning point in the 12-day Iran-Israel conflict. Interestingly, the attack came a few days after a US-brokered ceasefire was announced. While announcing the same, Trump had said that the strikes had “completely and fully obliterated” Iran’s nuclear sites.
If President Trump is to be believed, these strikes on Iran were intended to stop it from acquiring nuclear weapons and came in coordination with Israel. “Iran, the bully of the Middle East, must now make peace. If they do not, future attacks will be far greater and a lot easier,” he said.
Why are the 3 nuclear sites important for Iran?
One of the sites, Fordow, located under a mountain near Qom, is Iran’s most heavily fortified enrichment site. It is capable of housing about 3,000 centrifuges, which are used to enrich uranium.
Iran’s primary enrichment complex Natanz has nearly 70 cascades of centrifuges. Isfahan, on the other hand, hosts a uranium conversion facility and a fuel fabrication plant. It is also home a major Iranian airbase.
How is Iran handling US attacks?
Although he said Iran doesn’t plan to stop its nuclear programme, Araghchi also conveyed that Iran is “open to talks” with the US. He did say that there would not be direct talks “for the time being”, though.
“If they [the US] are coming for a win-win solution, I am ready to engage with them,” he stated, noting that Iran’s nuclear programme is peaceful and would remain peaceful forever, and Iran would never go for nuclear weapons.
Going forward, the country plans to hold renewed talks on Friday with European nations over its nuclear programme. The meeting, the first since the Israel-Iran ceasefire, will be held in Istanbul. Iranian officials will come together with their counterparts from the UK, France and Germany — known as the E3 nations — and the EU’s foreign policy chief.
It is worth mentioning here that Iran had earlier agreed to restrictions on its nuclear programmed under a 2015 deal known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). In exchange, it demanded an easing of international sanctions. The US, however, pulled out around 3 years later and reimposed sanctions.
The deal began to unravel in 2018, when the US pulled out and started to reintroduce certain sanctions.
Meanwhile, nuclear activities in Iran have risen as it is now enriching uranium up to 60%, nearing the weapons-grade levels of 90%, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Iran, however, refutes claims that it is seeking a nuclear weapon.
