U.S. bombing ‘heavily’ damaged Fordow nuclear facility: Araqchi

“No one exactly knows what has transpired in Fordow. That being said, what we know so far is that the facilities have been seriously and heavily damaged,” Araqchi said in an interview with CBS News broadcast on Tuesday.

“The Atomic Energy Organization of the Islamic Republic of Iran is currently undertaking evaluation and assessment, the report of which will be submitted to the government.”

The remarks came after U.S. President Donald Trump claimed that the targeted sites had been “obliterated” in the U.S. attacks, an assertion that the Pentagon later dismissed.

Asked whether Iran would be able to enrich uranium within months, Araqchi said the technology and science of enrichment cannot be obliterated through bombardment.

“If there is this will on our part, and the will exists there, in order to once again make progress in this industry, we will be able to expeditiously repair the damages and make up for the lost time. No one at the moment says that the facilities have remained intact; it is the technology and know-how that is still there.”

He pointed out that Iran has sacrificed a lot for its peaceful uranium enrichment program, adding that Iran’s “peaceful nuclear program has turned into a matter of national pride and glory.”

“We’ll definitely continue to convince the international community and the countries concerned that our nuclear program will remain absolutely peaceful. As we speak, we have now also gone through a 12-day imposed war in addition to all that we have done for this nuclear program.”

Araqchi went on to point to the fatwa (religious decree) of Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei against nuclear weapons, saying that according to that fatwa, nuclear weapons are forbidden on religious grounds.