US to offer new defense of strikes on Iran nuclear sites

US to offer new defense of strikes on Iran nuclear sites
by AFP Staff Writers
Washington (AFP) June 26, 2025

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is set to hold a news conference on Thursday to offer a fresh assessment of strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities, following a stinging row over how much American bombardment set back Tehran's nuclear program.

After waves of Israeli attacks on nuclear and military sites and retaliatory missile fire from Iran since June 13, the United States bombed three key Iranian atomic facilities at the weekend.

The extent of the damage in Iran, where Israel said it had acted to stop an imminent nuclear threat, has become the subject of profound disagreement in the United States.

An initial classified assessment, first reported by CNN, was said to have concluded that the strike did not destroy key components and that Iran's nuclear program was set back only months at most.

Another key question raised by experts is whether Iran, preparing for the strike, moved out some 400 kilogram (880 pounds) of enriched uranium -- which could now be hidden elsewhere in the vast country.

The US administration has hit back furiously, with Trump repeatedly saying the attack "obliterated" Iran's nuclear facilities, including the key site of Fordo buried inside a mountain.

"I can tell you, the United States had no indication that that enriched uranium was moved prior to the strikes, as I also saw falsely reported," White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told Fox News.

"As for what's on the ground right now, it's buried under miles and miles of rubble because of the success of these strikes on Saturday evening," she said.

Trump said that Hegseth, whom he dubbed "war" secretary, would hold a news conference at 8 am (1200 GMT) on Thursday to "fight for the dignity of our great American pilots".

CIA chief John Ratcliffe said in a statement on Wednesday that "several key Iranian nuclear facilities were destroyed and would have to be rebuilt over the course of years".

The Israeli military said it had delivered a "significant" blow to Iran's nuclear sites but that it was "still early" to fully assess the damage.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that "we have thwarted Iran's nuclear project".

"And if anyone in Iran tries to rebuild it, we will act with the same determination, with the same intensity, to foil any attempt," he said.

- Nuclear talks? -

Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei told Al Jazeera that "nuclear installations have been badly damaged, that's for sure".

After the war derailed nuclear talks between Iran and the United States, Trump said Washington would hold discussions with Tehran next week, with his special envoy Steve Witkoff expressing hope "for a comprehensive peace agreement".

Trump told reporters that Israel and Iran were "both tired, exhausted", before going on to say that talks were planned with Iran next week.

"We may sign an agreement. I don't know," he added.

Iran has systematically denied seeking a nuclear weapon while defending its "legitimate rights" to the peaceful use of atomic energy.

It has also said it was willing to return to nuclear negotiations with Washington.

In both Iran and Israel, authorities have gradually lifted wartime restrictions.

Iran on Wednesday reopened the airspace over the country's east, without allowing yet flights to and from the capital Tehran.

In the Israeli coastal hub of Tel Aviv, 45-year-old engineer Yossi Bin welcomed the ceasefire: "Finally, we can sleep peacefully. We feel better, less worried... and I hope it stays that way."

- State funeral -

While Iran and Israel have been locked in a shadow war for decades, their 12-day conflict was by far the most destructive confrontation between them.

The Israeli strikes on Iran killed at least 627 civilians, Tehran's health ministry said.

Iran's attacks on Israel killed 28 people, according to official figures.

According to Mehr news agency, the funeral of Revolutionary Guard commander Hossein Salami, who was killed in an Israeli strike, will no longer be held in his hometown on Thursday.

Instead, a state funeral will be held on Saturday in Tehran for top commanders including Salami and nuclear scientists killed in the war.

Iran MPs' vote to suspend IAEA cooperation is 'wrong signal': Berlin
Berlin (AFP) June 26, 2025 - Germany on Thursday urged Iran to keep working with the UN's nuclear watchdog, labelling a vote by Iranian lawmakers to halt cooperation with the IAEA "a totally wrong signal".

Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul told journalists that Germany "urges the Iranian government not to go down this path".

Wadephul's comments came a day after the vote in Iran's parliament, and following a 12-day war that saw Israeli and US strikes on nuclear facilities.

According to Iranian state TV, parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said the International Atomic Energy Agency "refused to even marginally condemn the attack on Iran's nuclear facilities" and had "put its international credibility up for auction".

The decision of the Iranian parliament still requires the approval of Iran's Guardian Council, a body empowered to vet legislation.

Wadephul also said there were "hopeful signs" of US-Iran talks after President Donald Trump said they would take place next week.

"We are directing all our diplomatic efforts towards finding a binding agreement as soon as possible," Wadephul said, during a joint news conference with his Canadian counterpart Anita Anand.

He added that the so-called E3 grouping of Britain, France and Germany would "play a central role" in any talks and that "Iran expressly wants a European component".

China hosts Iran, Russia defence ministers against backdrop of 'turmoil'
Qingdao, China (AFP) June 26, 2025 - China hosted defence ministers from Iran and Russia for a meeting in its eastern seaside city of Qingdao on Thursday against the backdrop of war in the Middle East and a summit of NATO countries in Europe that agreed to boost military spending.

Beijing has long sought to present the 10-member Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) as a counterweight to Western-led power blocs and has pushed to strengthen collaboration between its member countries in politics, security, trade and science.

The Qingdao meeting of the organisation's top defence officials comes as a fledgling ceasefire between Israel and Iran holds after 12 days of fighting between the arch-foes.

It is also being held the day after a summit of North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) leaders in The Hague, where members agreed to ramp up their defence spending to satisfy US President Donald Trump.

Beijing's ties with Moscow are also in the spotlight.

China has portrayed itself as a neutral party in Russia's war with Ukraine, although Western governments say its close ties have given Moscow crucial economic and diplomatic support.

Russian Defence Minister Andrei Belousov painted a bleak picture of a world seeing "worsening geopolitical tensions" when he addressed his counterparts at the meeting.

"The current military and political situation in the world remains difficult and shows signs of further deterioration," he said, according to a Russian defence ministry statement.

His Chinese counterpart Dong Jun also framed Thursday's meeting in Qingdao, home to a major Chinese naval base, as a counterweight to a world "marked by intertwined turmoil and changes".

"It is all the more important for the Shanghai Cooperation Organization to play its role as an anchor of stability," he said, according to state news agency Xinhua.

- Backing for Iran? -

Recent fighting between Israel, Iran and the United States was also likely discussed in Qingdao.

Beijing refrained from offering anything more than diplomatic support to its close partner Tehran throughout that conflict, reflecting its limited leverage in the region and reluctance to worsen relations with the United States.

"Public backing for Iran will come in the form of words, rather than deeds," James Char, an expert on the Chinese army at Nanyang Technological University in Singapore, told AFP.

"Other than condemning the US strikes on Iran, Beijing can be expected to continue treading cautiously in the Middle East's security issues and would not want to be dragged into the region's security challenges," he said.

Iran's defence minister will likely "discuss with China the supply of weapons but I doubt China would agree", said Andrea Ghiselli, an expert in China foreign policy and a lecturer at Exeter University.

"It would be seen as provocative by both Israel... and, even more important for China, the US, with which Beijing is trying to stabilise relations," Ghiselli said.

India's Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, also in attendance in Qingdao, said SCO members should "collectively aspire to fulfil the aspirations and expectations of our people as well as tackle today's challenges".

"The world we live in is undergoing a drastic transformation. Globalisation, which once brought us closer together, has been losing momentum," he said in comments his office posted on social media.