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An Iranian official has challenged U.S. efforts to limit Iran’s uranium enrichment rights, arguing that President Donald Trump himself acknowledged in public that joint U.S.-Israeli strikes had already crippled Tehran’s nuclear capability.
“The Western media focuses on our cooperation with the IAEA and stockpiles but must remember the outrageous acts committed by Israel and the United States,” Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei told The Guardian. “The western public has to recall those actions.”
Newsweek has reached out to the U.S. State Department for comment.
Tensions escalated during the 12-Day War in June when Israeli and U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear sites led Tehran to restrict International Atomic Energy Agency inspections. European states activated a “snapback” sanctions mechanism, but all sides claim there is still room for diplomacy—though the dispute over Iran’s right to enrich uranium remains central.
Iran may respond by ending limited UN oversight of its nuclear program, which could heighten concerns about potential weapons development.
In The Guardian interview, Baqaei criticized France, Germany, and the U.K. for aligning with U.S. and Israeli interests. Tehran also expresses a lack of trust in the IAEA, accusing it of issuing “politicized” reports on Iran’s noncompliance to nuclear commitments under the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.
The U.S. welcomed the snapback decision by France, Britain, and the U.K., stating that it would coordinate with allies to reinstate international sanctions and restrictions on Iran. Baqaei said Iran remains open to engaging with the United States but has received no response from Washington.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressed support for diplomacy in a statement on August 28, urging Iranian leaders to ensure their nation never obtains a nuclear weapon. A German Institute visiting fellow Hamidreza Azizi suggested that the U.S. shows little interest in reviving a new nuclear agreement, believing it has already militarily contained Iran’s nuclear program.
Baqaei proposed lowering uranium enrichment to 3.67 percent under a new deal, provided its domestic right to enrich was preserved. It remains unclear whether nuclear diplomacy with the U.S. will be revived.
