Iran’s Nuclear Program and Regional Tensions

In an exclusive and in-depth interview recorded in October for Al Jazeera’s documentary program “Fault Lines,” Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told journalist Hind Hassan that the attacks carried out by Israel and the United States in June caused “serious damage” to Iran’s nuclear facilities, but he insisted that Iran would continue its nuclear program. 
 
As it has repeatedly stated, Iran argues that it is no different from other countries that possess nuclear weapons and claims that it has the capability to obtain such weapons if it chooses to do so. Accordingly, Iranian officials emphasize that they will not step back from this objective. For this reason, potential future retaliatory strikes on areas where Iran conducts its nuclear activities would not come as a surprise to the international press. 
 
The Iranian foreign minister’s statement that “technology cannot be destroyed by bombing,” along with his assertion that Iran’s scientific knowledge remains intact, clearly reveals Tehran’s perspective on the issue. At the same time, it should be noted that Iran has also made clear that in response to the United States’ stance and actions, it will not retreat and will respond accordingly. 
 
Although both sides claim that diplomacy remains their priority, it is evident that once nuclear energy and nuclear armament enter the equation, the dynamics change and the situation becomes significantly more complex. 

References

Al Jazeera Staff. (2026, January 9). Trump will not meet Iran’s ‘Crown Prince’ Pahlavi as protests intensify. Al Jazeera. Retrieved from https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/1/9/trump-says-meeting-irans-crown-prince-pahlavi-would-not-be-appropriate