WASHINGTON, D.C. — President Donald Trump has declared that Iran has not agreed to international inspections or ceased its uranium enrichment activities, even as tensions over Tehran’s nuclear ambitions reach a new peak following recent military strikes.
Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One on Friday, Trump claimed Iran’s nuclear program had been “permanently set back,” following coordinated U.S. and Israeli strikes on its key nuclear facilities in late June. But he warned that if Tehran resumed its program, “it would be a problem,” and hinted any restart might occur at undisclosed sites.
Trump’s remarks come ahead of a high-stakes meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu at the White House on Monday. The leaders are expected to discuss both Iran and the ongoing conflict in Gaza, where a ceasefire remains elusive.
Meanwhile, the standoff between Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has deepened. After the IAEA pulled out its inspectors due to security concerns and denied access following the bombings, Iran has suspended all cooperation with the agency.
Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian this week ordered an official severance of ties with the UN nuclear watchdog, after parliament passed legislation to halt compliance until the security of nuclear sites and scientists is guaranteed. The move came amid growing Iranian distrust of the IAEA, which Tehran accuses of bias after it passed a resolution accusing Iran of non-compliance just one day before Israeli airstrikes began.
IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi has pleaded for a return to oversight, calling access to Iran’s nuclear facilities “crucial.” However, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi dismissed those requests, calling them “malign in intent.”
While the U.S. claims the strikes destroyed or heavily damaged three enrichment sites, the status of Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile—reportedly over 400 kilograms at 60% purity—remains unclear. Though still short of weapons-grade, the material brings Iran closer than ever to a nuclear threshold.
With inspectors out and diplomacy fraying, the path forward grows increasingly opaque.
