Jacqueline Howard and Adam Durbin
BBC News
Iran’s top leader insists that he has achieved nothing in his strike at his nuclear facilities since the ceasefire with Israel on Tuesday.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said the strike did not “achieve anything important” to undermine Iran’s nuclear program and described the retaliation against the US Air Force Base in Qatar as a “severe blow.”
Washington’s assessment has severely reduced Iran’s nuclear capabilities, which is doubled.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said intelligence collected by the United States and Israel indicated that the operation had “destroyed” the plan.
U.S. President Donald Trump said the strike against three major nuclear sites within Iran “completely eliminated” them and launched reports as U.S. officials who asked not to be named. Implications for damages may be less extensive More than expected.
Speaking at a Pentagon press conference with senior Dan Caine, Hegseth said the task was a “historic success” and “represented (Iran) enrichment facilities that were inoperable”.
In his sometimes-interaction with journalists, Heggs also said the United States “had no knowledge of any intelligence” which showed that the abundant uranium had left Fordor – before the strike, the United States targeted it at a powerful so-called nemesis bomb.
Khamenei has stood out to a large extent since the outbreak of direct conflict with Israel on June 13, ending a week-long public silence after he posted a televised address on Thursday morning.
The top leader has been reportedly covering and restricting communication, which has sparked speculation about his whereabouts. Iranian authorities did not disclose where he spoke on Thursday, though a senior official admitted he was in a safe place earlier this week.
Khamenei used Thursday’s video address to threaten more strikes on U.S. bases if Iran is attacked again and announced a defeat to Israel and the United States.
Khamenei said Trump “exaggerated” the impact of the nuclear site strike, adding: “They did nothing and did not achieve their goals.”
“This incident is also repeatable in the future, and if any attack occurs, the cost of the enemy and the invaders will undoubtedly be high.”
No one was killed in that attack, Trump said, which was marked before the launch. The United States says the base is not damaged.
The direct confrontation between Iran and Israel broke out after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said “if it is not stopped, Iran can produce nuclear weapons in a very short time”.
One day ago, the Global Nuclear Regulatory Authority Committee Iran has breached its non-proliferation obligation This is the first time in 20 years.
Iran insists that its nuclear program is for civilian purposes only and has never attempted to develop nuclear weapons.
On Thursday, Iran approved a parliamentary bill that calls for an end to the country’s cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), meaning it no longer promises to allow nuclear inspectors to enter its site.
The Iranian Ministry of Health said 610 people were killed within 12 days of the air strike, while Israeli authorities said 28 people were killed.
The United States was directly involved in strike facilities in Fodo, Natanz and Isfahan last weekend before Trump tried to quickly mediate a ceasefire between Israel and Iran.
The ceasefire was initially shaky, with Iran strikes and Israel before Trump erupting
Rafael Grossi, head of the UN nuclear regulator, said Wednesday Tehran has very likely moved most of its enriched uranium Attacked elsewhere.
