Iran says taking measures to continue nuclear programme
Iranian Defence Minister says Russia supports Iran after airstrikes on US base in Qatar
TEHRAN: Iran’s government said Tuesday it had “taken the necessary measures” to ensure the continuation of its nuclear programme after US and Israeli strikes targeted its facilities.
“We have taken the necessary measures and are taking stock of the damage” caused by the strikes, said the head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, Mohammad Eslami, in a statement aired on state television.
“Plans for restarting (the facilities) have been prepared in advance, and our strategy is to ensure that production and services are not disrupted,” he added.
The United States struck the Fordo, Isfahan and Natanz uranium enrichment facilities on Sunday.
US President Donald Trump called the strikes a “spectacular military success”. The extent of the damage is unknown.
An adviser to Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said his country still had stocks of enriched uranium and that “the game is not over”.
Israel announced on Monday that it had again bombed the Fordo site, buried under a mountain south of Tehran, to “obstruct access routes”.
US President Donald Trump said a ceasefire between Iran and Israel was in force on Tuesday, urging both sides to “not violate it” on the 12th day of the war between the two arch-foes.
The US leader had earlier said the truce would be a phased 24-hour process beginning at around 0400 GMT Tuesday, with Iran unilaterally halting all operations first. He said Israel would follow suit 12 hours later.
Israeli rescuers said four people were killed in an Iranian strike, after state media in the Islamic republic reported waves of missiles were headed toward Israel.
Neither Iran nor Israel have confirmed the agreement touted by Trump on ending the conflict that has killed hundreds in Iran and two dozen in Israel.
Iran’s foreign minister said Tuesday Tehran did not intend to continue its strikes if Israel stopped its attacks, hours after US President Donald Trump announced a staggered ceasefire to bring about an “official end” to their conflict.
Abbas Araghchi suggested that Iran had already halted its operation at 4am Tehran time (0030 GMT) — and wanted a simultaneous end in attacks from Israel as well.
Trump had said the ceasefire would be a phased 24-hour process beginning at around 0400 GMT Tuesday, with Iran unilaterally halting all operations. Israel would follow suit 12 hours later.
Iranian Defence Minister says Russia supports Iran after airstrikes on US base in Qatar
Iranian Defense Minister Brigadier General Aziz Nasirzadeh and his Russian counterpart affirmed their nations’ strategic alignment against “aggressors” during a phone call, vowing coordinated action to punish those responsible for recent attacks on Iranian sovereignty.
The discussion came amid escalating regional violence following U.S.-backed Israeli campaign of aggression against Iranian soil.
Russian Defense Minister Andrey Belousov opened the call by formally condemning the “unprovoked aggression” by the Israeli regime that martyred senior Iranian military commanders and civilians, declaring Russia’s “unequivocal support” for Iran’s government and people.
Nasirzadeh responded by emphasizing Iran’s resolve: “What is certain is that we are not fighting solely the Zionist regime; the U.S. and several other nations back this entity. Our decision remains firm: We will punish the aggressor with all our might, and we reject any imposed peace.”
The military official’s rejection of “imposed peace” aligns with Iran’s consistent resistance to external pressure, as reflected in the recent message from the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei, who rejected both the “imposed war” and an “imposed peace.” The Iranian defense minister identified the United States as the primary source of regional instability, asserting: “Together we can strive for peace and stability across the region and the world.”
In reply, Belousov dismissed the nuclear pretext for Washington’s attacks on Iran, warning: “Their true aim is weakening the Islamic Republic and spreading chaos throughout the region. Russia monitors all developments and will support Iran.”
The United States blatently attacked Iran’s nuclear facilities—Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan—on June 21 using GBU-57 bunker-buster bombs. The call concluded with mutual commitment to stability—a stance reinforced by President Vladimir Putin’s recent declaration that U.S. actions are pushing the world toward a “very dangerous line.”
The defense ministers’ coordination follows Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi’s Monday visit to Moscow, where he met Putin. During their Kremlin meeting, Putin denounced U.S. strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities as “absolutely unprovoked aggression without basis or justification,” pledging Russia would “make efforts to assist the Iranian people.”
The missile strikes came after Donald Trump, flanked by his vice president and his secretaries of defense and state, boasted about attacking Iran’s nuclear sites in Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan on the early hours of Sunday. His boasting did not last more than one day. His pride was blown up by Iran.
Trump imagined that he is the Truman of his time and Iran will surrender to his illegal and unjustified attacks and threats. A constant show of U.S. B-2 bombers on TV screens and other media outlets did not frighten Iranians. It is the war of wills that win, and not sophisticated weapons.
Iran’s history is full of heroism, valor and pride, but Trump and his security team are ignorant of them.
More than 40 years ago, Saddam Hussein, an impulsive person like Trump, made a surprise attack on Iran from land, air and sea. Saddam did this stupidity while Iran was still reeling from the aftermath of the revolution in 1979. He imagined that it was a proper time to attack Iran. He took Iran off-guard.
His army captured some border cities and a large swathe of the Iranian territory and called the Khuzestan of Iran, an oil-rich province, part of the Iraqi territory. It did not last long that he started begging for a ceasefire despite the fact that it used chemical weapons against Iranian armed forces and ordinary people and bombarded cities indiscriminately.
During that war in the 1980s, the U.S. provided satellite images of Iranian troops to the Iraqi side and France and the Soviet Union provided the most sophisticated weapons to the Saddam army.
In his first presidency Trump also boasted that its military had dropped a 10-ton bomb on Afghanistan. It was called the “mother of bombs” by the Pentagon, but after 20 years the Trump administration was forced to agree to the terms of Taliban and flee the country in disgrace. Trump is incapable to understand that the Iranians are ready to sacrifice their lives for their country. Even those who are opponents of the ruling system and been jailed for their strong criticism of the ruling views are now sending the message of resistance against the Israeli-U.S.-imposed war on Iran.
The missile strikes came after Donald Trump, flanked by his vice president and his secretaries of defense and state, boasted about attacking Iran’s three nuclear sites on the early hours of Sunday. His boasting did not last more than one day. His pride was blown up by Iran.
Trump imagined that he is the Truman of his time and Iran will surrender to his illegal and unjustified attacks and threats.
A constant show of U.S. B-2 bombers on TV screens and other media outlets did not frighten Iranians. It is the war of wills that win, and not sophisticated weapons. NNI
