US President Donald Trump today said he would "militarily" prevent Iran from restarting uranium enrichment or pursuing a nuclear weapon. It is unclear how much damage to Tehran's nuclear programme was caused by the US recent airstrikes on the Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan facilities.
"The last thing they want to do is enrich anything right now," Trump said today. "They want to recover, and we won't let that [enrichment] happen… militarily, we won't."
"They're not going to have a bomb, and they're not going to enrich," he said.
Trump was responding to remarks by Iran's foreign minister Abbas Araqchi, who said Tehran will not abandon uranium enrichment and that Iran's perspective on the nuclear non-proliferation regime is undergoing a change.
Trump brokered a ceasefire to end a 12-day conflict between Israel and Iran, which appears to be holding. On Tuesday, 24 June, he had sharply criticised both countries over what he called early violations of the truce.
Trump also said the US could eventually have a relationship with Iran.
"I see it. Look I've had a relationship over the last four days," he said. "They agreed to the ceasefire, and it was a very equal agreement [between Iran and Israel]."
That followed an earlier upbeat assessment of Iran's economic future.
"They're going to get on to being the great trading nation," Trump said.
Extent of damage
The full extent of damage to Iran's nuclear facilities caused by US bombing has yet to be verified.
Trump has said the sites were completely demolished, calling the outcome of the attack "very severe" and "obliteration."
UN nuclear watchdog IAEA director general Rafael Grossi said the US strikes had set back Iran's nuclear program "significantly", but did not specify what that meant in terms of months or years.
Secretary of state Marco Rubio said Iran's conversion facility, a necessary element for producing a nuclear weapon, had been obliterated.
"You can't even find where it used to be because the whole thing… is gone," he said.
Iran has yet to comment about the extent of damage.
