Iran has firmly denied reports that it will resume nuclear negotiations with the United States following its 12-day war with Israel, accusing Washington of exaggerating the impact of recent military strikes on its nuclear infrastructure.
U.S. President Donald Trump had announced plans for upcoming talks with Tehran, with special envoy Steve Witkoff expressing hope for a “comprehensive peace agreement.” However, Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi dismissed the prospect of renewed negotiations as unfounded speculation.
“No agreement or plan has been made to begin new talks,” Araghchi stated on state television. “This should not be taken seriously.”
His comments come as Iranian lawmakers passed a binding resolution suspending cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog. At the same time, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei delivered a defiant speech, his first since a ceasefire was declared, claiming victory over Israel and accusing the U.S. of overstating the effectiveness of its strikes.
“The American president exaggerated events in unusual ways because he needed that exaggeration,” Khamenei said, insisting the U.S. strikes had done “nothing significant” to Iran’s nuclear infrastructure.
President Trump, however, asserted that American forces had “obliterated” key sites, including the underground Fordo enrichment facility, using advanced weaponry such as B-2 bombers and GBU-57 bunker-busting bombs.
While some in the U.S. intelligence community have expressed skepticism about the true extent of the damage with leaked reports suggesting Iran’s nuclear programme may only be delayed by a few months CIA Director John Ratcliffe and Pentagon Chief Pete Hegseth maintained that the strikes caused long-term disruption.
Hegseth defended the operation, saying, “President Trump created the conditions to end the war by decimating Iran’s nuclear capabilities.”
In Israel, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hailed the strikes as a "historic win," claiming they thwarted Iran’s nuclear ambitions. He warned Tehran that any attempt to rebuild its facilities would be met with force.
Despite claims from Tehran that it remains open to negotiations, Araghchi’s comments signal a hardened stance amid heightened tensions. Iran continues to assert its nuclear programme is for peaceful purposes and denies pursuing atomic weapons.
French President Emmanuel Macron weighed in from Brussels, calling the U.S. strikes “genuinely effective,” but warned that a worst-case scenario would be Iran’s withdrawal from the global non-proliferation treaty.
The recent conflict between Israel and Iran claimed hundreds of lives. Iran's health ministry reported 627 civilian deaths from Israeli strikes, while Israeli officials said 28 people were killed in Iranian attacks.