U.S. President Donald Trump said Friday that Iran must permit international inspectors to ensure it has not resumed its nuclear activities.
Speaking at a White House press briefing, Trump was asked whether he would require Iran to allow inspection by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) or another trusted body during upcoming talks. He replied that Iran must cooperate with either the IAEA or another group the U.S. considers credible — “even if that’s ourselves.”
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi earlier acknowledged that recent American airstrikes on three of Iran’s nuclear sites caused “serious damage,” and said the attacks have complicated any potential nuclear negotiations.
The 2015 nuclear deal — which limited Iran’s uranium enrichment in exchange for relief from sanctions — collapsed when Trump pulled the U.S. out during his first term. He now says he’s open to renewed discussions, potentially as soon as next week.
However, in a Thursday interview on Iranian state television, Araghchi said that no new talks had been scheduled and that no commitments had been made. He emphasized that the U.S. airstrikes had made diplomacy harder, not easier.
Friday Prayers Reflect Defiant Tone
During Friday prayers, Iranian clerics reinforced Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s message that Iran had triumphed in its conflict with Israel. In Tehran, senior cleric and deputy chief justice Hamzeh Khalili vowed that courts would harshly punish those accused of spying for Israel.
During the war, Iran executed several detainees on espionage charges and has reportedly arrested dozens more on similar accusations, raising human rights concerns.
Israel launched its military campaign on June 13, striking Iranian nuclear and military infrastructure. According to Israeli officials, 12 days of attacks killed 30 Iranian commanders and 11 nuclear scientists, destroyed eight nuclear facilities, and damaged over 700 military sites. Human rights organizations reported more than 1,000 fatalities, including at least 417 civilians.
Iran responded by launching more than 550 ballistic missiles at Israel. While most were intercepted, some caused significant damage and killed 28 people.
U.S. Joins Conflict with Strikes on Nuclear Facilities
The U.S. entered the conflict by bombing three of Iran’s fortified nuclear sites using B-2 bombers equipped with bunker-busting bombs. Iran retaliated by launching missiles at a U.S. base in Qatar, though no casualties were reported.
Trump claimed the strikes “completely obliterated” Iran’s nuclear capabilities. Khamenei dismissed those claims, saying the impact had been exaggerated. Trump doubled down on his statement Friday, telling reporters the sites had been “bombed to hell” and challenging Khamenei to admit the truth: “You got beat to hell.”
Israeli military officials stated that their strikes had disabled Iran’s ability to enrich uranium to weapons-grade levels “for a prolonged period.” However, this claim appeared to conflict with early U.S. intelligence assessments suggesting only a temporary disruption.
There are suspicions that Iran moved much of its enriched uranium prior to the strikes — a plan it had reportedly disclosed to the IAEA.
Still, IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi said in an interview that the damage at Iran’s Fordo facility, buried deep in a mountain, was “very considerable.” He noted that centrifuges, which are highly sensitive devices, were likely rendered inoperable by the impact of multiple 30,000-pound bombs.
“These centrifuges are no longer operational,” Grossi stated.
Iran’s foreign minister confirmed the severity of the damage but said the government had not yet decided whether to allow international inspectors in. For now, he said, access would be denied.