Originally published at Judgenap.com and reprinted with permission
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Tehran would respond in a “more decisive manner” if the US or Israel attacked again.
“Iran knows exactly what happened during the recent American-Israeli aggression, both to us and our adversaries—including the extent of blows that are still being censored,” the diplomat wrote on X. “If aggression is repeated, we will not hesitate to react in a more decisive manner and in a way that will be IMPOSSIBLE to cover up.”
Araghchi’s post followed a threat by President Donald Trump to “wipe out” Iran’s nuclear program again. Trump made the threat to Iran while referencing a statement from the Iranian Foreign Minister that Tehran would continue its nuclear enrichment program.
“Iran’s been sending out bad signals, I’ll tell you. For a country that just got wiped out, they’ve been sending very bad signals, very nasty signals. And they shouldn’t be doing that,” Trump said during a press conference in Scotland with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Monday.
The day before, Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz also threatened renewed attacks on the Islamic Republic. “I want to send a clear message from here to dictator Khamenei: If you continue to threaten Israel, our long arm will reach Tehran again with even greater power – and this time personally to you too,” he said Sunday.
Washington and Tel Aviv have argued that Tehran is close to building nuclear weapons, as the Islamic Republic has a uranium enrichment program. Iran maintains it has no intention to build nuclear weapons, and the enrichment program is key to its sovereignty.
Araghchi explained the importance of Iran’s enrichment program:
“More than a million Iranians need medical radioisotopes produced by the Tehran Research Reactor, an American-supplied facility fuelled by 20%-enriched uranium. Iran also needs enrichment to fuel our nascent nuclear power reactors. No one in their right mind would abandon the fruits of tremendous investment in homegrown and peaceful technology which is saving lives—and simply because bullying foreigners demand it,” he said.
The Iranian diplomat added that there was no military solution to the enrichment issue, but diplomacy was still possible. “The recent unlawful bombing of Iranian nuclear facilities has proven what we have always stated: there is no ‘military solution,’” he explained. “If there are concerns about the possible diversion of our nuclear program into non-peaceful purposes, the ‘military option’ proved incapable—but a negotiated solution may work.”
He added, “All should know that we Iranians have NOT BOUGHT our PEACEFUL nuclear program; we have BUILT IT WITH BLOOD, SWEAT, AND TEARS. The technology and know-how that our FORMIDABLE human resources have developed CANNOT be destroyed by bombings. Yes, our enrichment facilities are severely damaged, but our DETERMINATION IS NOT.”
