Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has admitted that the Fordow nuclear facility suffered “serious and heavy” damage following U.S. airstrikes ordered by President Donald Trump — a stunning confirmation that undercuts previous attempts by Tehran to downplay the operation’s success.
Speaking to CBS News, Araghchi acknowledged that the Iranian regime has yet to fully assess the extent of the destruction but made clear that the site was effectively neutralized.
“No one exactly knows what has transpired in Fordow,” Araghchi said. “That being said, what we know so far is that the facilities have been seriously and heavily damaged. The Atomic Energy Organization of the Islamic Republic of Iran is currently undertaking evaluation and assessment.”
When asked whether the facility could be relaunched, Araghchi hesitated. “We need to wait until the reports come in to see whether or not they will be able to be relaunched,” he said, echoing uncertainty about the viability of the site moving forward.
President Trump had previously declared that Iranian nuclear sites hit in the operation were “obliterated,” and Araghchi’s remarks all but confirm that claim. Despite Iran’s insistence that its nuclear program is peaceful, the regime had been enriching uranium to levels — up to 60 percent — far beyond what is needed for civilian energy use, a step widely recognized as a gateway to weapons-grade material.
According to the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), once uranium is enriched to 60 percent, “Tehran has accomplished 99 percent of the effort to make weapons-grade uranium.” Iran, despite spending hundreds of billions of dollars on its enrichment program, has yet to fuel its own Bushehr nuclear power plant.
Still, Araghchi insisted that nuclear weapons have “no place” in Iran’s security doctrine, citing a fatwa from Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. “According to the fatwa … nuclear weaponry has no place whatsoever,” he said, even as Iran’s enrichment activities and secrecy around key sites tell a different story.
Iranian officials have long used the “peaceful program” narrative as a shield against international scrutiny, even as their facilities grew more advanced and militarized. Araghchi’s admission is likely to further vindicate President Trump’s aggressive approach to preventing Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons — and highlights the effectiveness of the recent strikes.
Despite international backlash from the usual critics, the facts on the ground are becoming harder to deny: Iran’s nuclear ambitions just suffered a major setback.