Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, acknowledged that the regime’s nuclear sites suffered significant damage from the U.S. strikes last month, but vowed that Iran would not give up on its uranium enrichment program.

“It is stopped because, yes, damages are serious and severe. But obviously we cannot give up enrichment because it is an achievement of our own scientists. And now, more than that, it is a question of national pride,” Araghchi told Fox News host Bret Baier on Monday.

“Our enrichment is so dear to us,” he added.

U.S. President Donald Trump quickly responded with a post to his social media network, Truth Social.

Donald J. Trump Truth Social 07.21.25 08:01 PM EST pic.twitter.com/gwFXag2grF— Fan Donald J. Trump Posts From Truth Social (@TrumpDailyPosts) July 22, 2025

“Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, on the Iran Nuclear Sites: ‘Damages are very severe, they are destroyed.’ Of course they are, just like I said, and we will do it again, if necessary!” Trump wrote.

The president added another of his trademark attacks against media outlets he sees as hostile, writing that “Fake News CNN should immediately fire their phony ‘reporter’ and apologize to me and the great pilots who ‘OBLITERATED’ Iran’s nuclear sites. CNN is a major ratings loser, as is MSDNC!”

Araghchi told Fox News that the nuclear sites were significantly damaged.

“Our facilities have been damaged – seriously damaged,” he said. “The extent of which is now under evaluation by our atomic energy organization. But as far as I know, they are seriously damaged.”

He further noted that the damage was so severe as to halt all enrichment activities at the moment.

The foreign minister also spoke on the condition of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who had avoided public appearances for almost a month after the end of the war with Israel, sparking speculations.

Ali Khamenei is in “good health,” Araghchi said, adding that the regime was open to resuming talks with the U.S. but that they would remain indirect for now.

In his first public speech since the end of the Israel-Iran War, Khamenei praised the country’s “national unity,” which he said enabled the Islamic Republic to overcome the United States and Israel in the conflict. 

Before the war, representatives of the U.S. and the Iranian regime met for five rounds of nuclear talks, mediated by Oman, which remained without results.

On Monday, the Associated Foreign Press (AFP) reported that the European E3 countries, consisting of the UK, France and Germany, could resume nuclear talks with Iran as soon as next week.

European countries and the U.S. recently warned that they would reinstate snapback sanctions on Iran if no nuclear agreement were reached by the end of August.

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