Iran says it has 'plenty of scientists' left to restart uranium enrichment, despite US, Israeli strikes
While the U.S. struck three key Iranian nuclear sites, Israel destroyed much of its air defenses, took out top military commanders and killed at least 13 nuclear scientists and more than 1,000 people, according to figures put out by Tehran. Israel claims it killed 30 senior security officials and 11 top nuclear scientists.
"Buildings can be rebuilt. Machines can be replaced, because the technology is there. We have plenty of scientists and technicians who used to work in our facilities," Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said in a recent interview with the Financial Times.
"But when and how we restart our enrichment depends on the circumstances."
Washington maintains that it inflicted significant damage to Iran's two main uranium enrichment sites, Fordow and Natanz, and fired missiles that rendered the Isfahan facility essentially inoperable, setting Iran's nuclear program back "years."
Now, the world is watching to see whether Iran and the West will be able to come to a deal that ensures Iran does not work towards a nuclear weapon in exchange for sanctions relief.
Araghchi said the U.S. must offer funds to Iran to compensate for last month's strikes in order to move forward with negotiations.
"They should explain why they attacked us in the middle of . . . negotiations, and they have to ensure that they are not going to repeat that [during future talks]," Araghchi said. "They have to compensate [Iran for] the damage that they have done."
Araghchi claimed the so-called 12-Day War "proved there is no military solution for Iran's nuclear program."
Araghchi also said the strikes had prompted calls from within the regime to weaponize Iran's nuclear program but claimed Iran would continue to abide by a two-decade-old fatwa banning the production of nuclear weapons.
"Anti-negotiation feelings are very high," Araghchi said. "People are telling me, 'Don't waste your time anymore, don't be cheated by them . . . if they come to negotiations it's only a cover-up for their other intentions.'"
The minister repeated Iran's insistence that it would not give up its ability to enrich uranium for civil purposes — a sticking point for Washington. "With zero enrichment, we don't have a thing."
The White House could not immediately be reached for comment on Araghchi's remarks.
Israeli officials have admitted that some of Iran's stockpile of highly enriched uranium did survive the attacks.
European powers have threatenaed to trigger "snapback" United Nations sanctions against Iran if there isn't a breakthrough in nuclear talks.
Any of the current members of the 2015 nuclear deal, Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action — France, the UK, Germany, China, and Russia - can invoke the snapback mechanism if they determine Iran hasn't held up its end of the deal. The U.S. can't trigger the sanctions because it pulled out of the deal and enacted unilateral "maximum pressure" sanctions under Trump's first administration.
The U.S. heaped more pressure onto Tehran this week with new sanctions on the nation's oil network and military drone enterprise.
European diplomats have been meeting with Iran to relay how it could avoid snapback sanctions, including resuming cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to monitor its compliance with nuclear limits.
Araghchi said Iran would stop negotiating with Europe if they were to trigger the sanctions. "If they do snap back, that means that this is the end of the road for them."
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Israel minister who led prayers at a controversial holy site has a record of provocative actions
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Washington Post
29 minutes ago
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Israel minister who led prayers at a controversial holy site has a record of provocative actions
TEL AVIV, Israel — Israel's far-right national security minister led prayers on Sunday at Jerusalem's most sensitive holy site, drawing international condemnation and escalating tensions as Israel faces strong criticism over the war in Gaza. Itamar Ben-Gvir has frequently visited the contested Jerusalem hilltop compound during the war in Gaza. Jews revere the site as the Temple Mount, where the biblical temples once stood. It is the holiest site in Judaism. Today, it is home to the Al Aqsa Mosque, the third-holiest site in Islam. Tensions at the compound have frequently spilled over into violence over the years. It was the latest act of defiance by the 49-year-old ultranationalist settler leader who transformed himself over the decades from an outlaw and provocateur into one of Israel's most influential politicians. Here is a closer look at Ben-Gvir: Since Israel captured the site in 1967, Jews have been allowed to visit but not pray there. Palestinians consider the mosque a national symbol and view visits by Jewish leaders as provocative and as a potential precursor to Israel seizing control over the compound. Most rabbis forbid Jews from praying on the site, but there has been a growing movement in recent years of Jews who support worship there. Ben-Gvir has long called for greater Jewish access to the holy site. Ben-Gvir was visiting to mark the Jewish holiday of Tisha B'Av, a day of mourning and repentance when Jews reflect on the destruction of the First and Second Temples, key events in Jewish history. Visits like Ben-Gvir's are legal. Israeli media said the visit was the first time that a sitting minister actively and vocally led prayers. Ben-Gvir also called for Israel to conquer and declare sovereignty over all of the Gaza Strip and encourage 'voluntary' migration from Gaza in order to end the war and bring the hostages back. Palestinians say the migration plan is a disguise for forced expulsions. 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29 minutes ago
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Israel minister who led prayers at a controversial holy site has a record of provocative actions
TEL AVIV, Israel (AP) — Israel's far-right national security minister led prayers on Sunday at Jerusalem's most sensitive holy site, drawing international condemnation and escalating tensions as Israel faces strong criticism over the war in Gaza. Itamar Ben-Gvir has frequently visited the contested Jerusalem hilltop compound during the war in Gaza. Jews revere the site as the Temple Mount, where the biblical temples once stood. It is the holiest site in Judaism. Today, it is home to the Al Aqsa Mosque, the third-holiest site in Islam. Tensions at the compound have frequently spilled over into violence over the years. It was the latest act of defiance by the 49-year-old ultranationalist settler leader who transformed himself over the decades from an outlaw and provocateur into one of Israel's most influential politicians. Here is a closer look at Ben-Gvir: Why was the visit considered a provocation? Since Israel captured the site in 1967, Jews have been allowed to visit but not pray there. Palestinians consider the mosque a national symbol and view visits by Jewish leaders as provocative and as a potential precursor to Israel seizing control over the compound. Most rabbis forbid Jews from praying on the site, but there has been a growing movement in recent years of Jews who support worship there. Ben-Gvir has long called for greater Jewish access to the holy site. Ben-Gvir was visiting to mark the Jewish holiday of Tisha B'Av, a day of mourning and repentance when Jews reflect on the destruction of the First and Second Temples, key events in Jewish history. Visits like Ben-Gvir's are legal. Israeli media said the visit was the first time that a sitting minister actively and vocally led prayers. Ben-Gvir also called for Israel to conquer and declare sovereignty over all of the Gaza Strip and encourage 'voluntary' migration from Gaza in order to end the war and bring the hostages back. Palestinians say the migration plan is a disguise for forced expulsions. In response to Ben-Gvir's visit, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the status quo at the site had not changed and would not change to allow Jewish prayer. Run-ins with the law Ben-Gvir has been convicted eight times for offenses that include racism and supporting a terrorist organization. The army banned him from compulsory military service when he was a teen, deeming his views too extreme. Ben-Gvir gained notoriety in his youth as a follower of the late radical rabbi Meir Kahane. He first became a national figure when he broke a hood ornament off then-Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin's car in 1995. 'We got to his car, and we'll get to him too,' he said, just weeks before Rabin was assassinated by a Jewish extremist opposed to his peace efforts with the Palestinians. Two years later, Ben-Gvir took responsibility for orchestrating a campaign of protests, including death threats, that forced Irish singer Sinead O'Connor to cancel a concert for peace in Jerusalem. Moving to the mainstream The political rise of Ben-Gvir was the culmination of years of efforts by the media-savvy lawmaker to gain legitimacy. But it also reflected a rightward shift in the Israeli electorate that brought his religious, ultranationalist ideology into the mainstream and diminished hopes for Palestinian independence. Ben-Gvir is trained as a lawyer and gained recognition as a successful defense attorney for extremist Jews accused of violence against Palestinians. With a quick wit and cheerful demeanor, the outspoken Ben-Gvir also became a popular fixture in the media, paving his way to enter politics. He was first elected to parliament in 2021. Ben-Gvir has called for deporting his political opponents. In an episode in 2022, he brandished a pistol and encouraged police to open fire on Palestinian stone-throwers in a tense Jerusalem neighborhood. In his Cabinet post, Ben-Gvir oversaw the country's police force. He used his influence to encourage Netanyahu to press ahead with the war in Gaza and recently boasted that he had blocked past efforts to reach a ceasefire. As national security minister, he has encouraged police to take a tough line against anti-government protesters. Controversial minister Ben-Gvir secured his Cabinet post after 2022 elections that put Netanyahu and his far-right partners, including Ben-Gvir's Jewish Power party, into power. 'Over the last year I've been on a mission to save Israel,' Ben-Gvir told reporters before that election. 'Millions of citizens are waiting for a real right-wing government. The time has come to give them one.' Ben-Gvir has been a magnet of controversy throughout his tenure — encouraging the mass distribution of handguns to Jewish citizens, backing Netanyahu's contentious attempt to overhaul the country's legal system and frequently lashing out at U.S. leaders for perceived slights against Israel. Resignation and return to Netanyahu's cabinet Ben-Gvir temporarily resigned from Prime Minister Netanyahu's cabinet earlier this year to express his disapproval of the Gaza ceasefire deal. The ceasefire ran from Jan. 19 to March 1. Hamas released 25 Israeli hostages and the bodies of eight others in return for nearly 1,800 Palestinian prisoners, including senior militants serving life sentences for deadly attacks. Israeli forces pulled back to a buffer zone, hundreds of thousands of Palestinians returned to what remained of their homes, and there was a surge of humanitarian aid. Ben-Gvir's resignation did not stop the ceasefire, but it did weaken Netanyahu's governing coalition. Ben-Gvir rejoined the cabinet when Israel ended the ceasefire and returned to active combat in Gaza in March 2025. Last week, the Netherlands banned Ben-Gvir and far-right Finance Minister Betzalel Smotrich from entering the country. Britain, Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Norway imposed financial sanctions on the two men last month.
