Eslami: No Direct Talks with U.S.; Nuclear Facilities Will Be Rebuilt
WANA (Sep 24) – Mohammad Eslami, head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organisation and Vice President, emphasised that “direct negotiations with the United States will not take place” and pledged that, despite international pressures, Iran will rebuild its nuclear facilities destroyed in the recent aggressive U.S. attack.
Eslami said the nuclear facilities destroyed during the U.S. attack on June 22, including Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan sites, will be restored despite international pressure and threats of further Israeli attacks.
He stated, “It is completely natural that during a military attack on nuclear facilities, they suffer damage and infrastructure is destroyed. What matters is that science, knowledge, technology, and industry have deep and long-standing roots in Iran’s history.”
On June 22, the U.S. used B-2 bombers to strike three nuclear sites in Iran: Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan. Satellite images show significant damage, but as some sites are deeply buried in mountains, the exact extent of the U.S. bomb damage remains difficult to assess.
Arak nuclear facility after the U.S. strike. Social media/ WANA News Agency
Shortly after the attacks, Iran’s Foreign Minister acknowledged serious and extensive damage.
Eslami, who is also Iran’s Vice President, defended Iran’s right to develop its nuclear capabilities and reiterated that, as the Islamic Republic has repeatedly stated, this development is for peaceful purposes.
High Enrichment Levels Not Necessarily for Weapons
Responding to questions about why Iran enriches uranium to levels close to weapons-grade, Eslami said: “The enrichment percentages discussed publicly are fueled and exaggerated by politicians, deceivers, and our enemies.”
He added, “A high enrichment level does not necessarily mean it is for weapons. We need higher enrichment for highly sensitive and precise measuring instruments. No one sells these items to us. We have been under sanctions for years.”
Eslami emphasised that these products are needed for reactor safety systems and sensitive processes used in reactor management.
Fordow: A Target for a Tactical Nuclear Bomb?
WANA (Jul 11) – A member of Iran’s National Security and Foreign Policy Commission has spoken of an incident which, if true, would mark a turning point in Iran’s regional security dynamics: the use of a tactical nuclear bomb against the Fordow nuclear facility. Abolfazl Zohrevand has claimed that the recent U.S.-Israeli strike on […]
Diplomatic Talks Amid Sanctions Pressure
On Tuesday, Iranian and European officials met with the European Union’s foreign policy chief on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York to discuss Iran’s nuclear issue and the “snapback” sanctions mechanism.
The European trio of the UK, France, and Germany announced on August 28 the start of a 30-day deadline to reinstate sanctions on Iran under the so-called “snapback” mechanism, stating that this process will be halted only if Iran takes urgent measures before the 2015 nuclear deal expires.
These conditions include restoring access for UN inspectors to Iran’s nuclear facilities and resuming negotiations with the United States.
Iran’s Fordow nuclear facility. Social media/ WANA News Agency
No Need to Negotiate with the U.S.
Eslami categorically ruled out talks with the U.S. after the recent military conflict, stating: “There is no need to negotiate with them.” He pointed out that the U.S. government has committed great injustice against the Iranian people, has inflicted heavy blows since the Islamic Revolution, and has recently carried out military attacks against Iran.
“An enemy is an enemy even if hostility is not openly shown. Their enmity has always been severe. Negotiations with such an enemy are futile,” Eslami said. He added that the U.S. conducted military operations while indirect negotiations were ongoing.
No One Can Trust the U.S. Anymore
Eslami reminded that the U.S. came to the negotiating table but then abandoned it, forgetting promises and agreements made. “The American government is full of unfulfilled promises, and no one can trust them anymore,” he said.
