Saeed Khatibzadeh, the deputy foreign minister of Iran’s regime, stated that although U.S. and Israeli attacks have inflicted heavy damage on nuclear facilities in Iran, the regime’s nuclear program remains “untouched.” (Khatibzadeh is a senior diplomat and spokesperson of Iran’s regime; his comments were made to a foreign audience via CNN.)
On Sunday, November 16, in an interview with CNN, Khatibzadeh said that Iran’s so-called peaceful nuclear program “at this moment as I speak to you, is untouched, and we will protect it.”
Iranian Regime Nuclear Chief: They Tell Us If You Touch Anything, We Will Attack Again
He added that Israeli and U.S. strikes have destroyed many infrastructures, buildings, and equipment tied to nuclear activities, but the regime’s nuclear program is “completely based on indigenous knowledge” and dispersed “across our vast country.”
He said this is not a country you can bomb and think everything will be eliminated.
U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly claimed that following U.S. strikes on the Natanz, Fordow, and Isfahan sites during the twelve-day war, the Iranian regime’s nuclear program has been destroyed. (Natanz and Fordow are major enrichment sites; Isfahan hosts nuclear conversion facilities.)
However, speculation continues about the fate of the regime’s nuclear program, particularly its stockpile of enriched uranium.
CNN reported on November 16 that, according to preliminary assessments by U.S. intelligence agencies, three of the regime’s nuclear sites have been severely damaged, but Tehran’s nuclear program has likely been set back only by about two years.
Iranian regime’s insistence on continuing enrichment
Khatibzadeh, repeating the regime’s previous positions, told CNN that the regime’s nuclear program has a “completely peaceful nature” and is pursued “only for energy production.”
According to him, any potential negotiations between Tehran and Washington will only make sense if “Iran’s right to continue enrichment” is recognized.
The deputy foreign minister of the regime added that the illusion of zero enrichment in Iran, or attempts to deprive Iran of its basic rights, will not be an acceptable option for Iran.
He declined to answer whether Tehran is currently enriching uranium.
Before the twelve-day war, five rounds of nuclear talks were held between Tehran and Washington, but the negotiations reached a deadlock due to the regime’s insistence on continuing enrichment on Iranian soil.
Bloomberg reported on November 15 that after the war, the regime’s “nuclear ambiguity” has increased because Tehran has for months denied inspectors access to its facilities.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) stated in a confidential report on November 12 that since the Iran–Israel war, it has lost the ability to verify the regime’s stockpile of uranium enriched close to weapons-grade levels.
Praise for Iran’s “very close relations” with Russia and China
In another part of the CNN interview, Khatibzadeh stressed that Iran’s regime has “legitimate military programs” to “defend its national interests and security.”
Answering a question about the fate of the regime’s missile program, he said the program is in a phase of “repair and recovery” after the twelve-day war.
The deputy foreign minister added that Tehran has “very close relations” with Moscow and Beijing, relations that formed “long before recent developments.” (Russia and China have long been political and military partners of the Iranian regime.)
On October 29, CNN reported that despite the return of UN sanctions banning the sale of weapons and missile equipment to Iran, Tehran is rebuilding its missile program with Beijing’s assistance.
According to this report, a total of 2,000 tons of sodium perchlorate—the main component used to produce solid fuel for medium-range missiles—was shipped from China to Bandar Abbas after the twelve-day war.
