Fordow nuclear site heavily hit in US attack, Iranian FM confirms

Iran confirms extensive damage to Fordow site as US-Iran nuclear tensions escalate after June 22 strikes

Tehran: The Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi has confirmed that the Fordow nuclear facility suffered serious and heavy damage during the US airstrikes conducted on June 22, marking a significant escalation in the ongoing tensions between Washington and Tehran.

In an interview with CBS News, broadcast on Tuesday, Araqchi stated, “No one exactly knows what has transpired in Fordow. That being said, what we know so far is that the facilities have been seriously and heavily damaged.”

He added that the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) is currently assessing the extent of the damage and will submit a report to the Iranian government soon.

Contradictory assessments surface

While Araqchi acknowledged significant destruction, US intelligence assessments, reported by the Washington Post, suggest otherwise. According to four sources familiar with classified briefings, intercepted Iranian communications downplayed the strike’s impact, claiming that core nuclear materials were not destroyed.

This contradiction highlights the uncertainty surrounding the actual scale of damage at Iran’s nuclear facilities, especially Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan—all targeted during the US offensive.

Trump’s claim vs. reality

The US President Donald Trump, who ordered the June 22 strikes, had earlier claimed the operations had “completely and totally obliterated” Iran’s nuclear program.

However, the US defense officials have since cautioned that a full assessment is ongoing, and final conclusions may take time to validate. With a formal statement coming from Iranian Foreign Minister, the veracity of Trump’s claims gets more weightage. However, still there’s no confirmation about the full extent of damage.

Background of the escalation

On June 22, US military forces launched coordinated airstrikes targeting three critical nuclear facilities in Iran—Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan. The strikes came after Israel launched an unprovoked attack on Iran in Operation Rising Lion on June 13.

President Trump, who had previously taken a hardline stance on Iran, described the strikes as a decisive response to repeated provocations.

Iran’s response

In response to the attack, Iran had launched a retaliatory attack on Israel and US base in Qatar. The war which escalated for 12 days, finally ended with a ceasefire. However, since the ceasefire, AEOI has restricted access to nuclear sites for International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors, pending internal assessments. Furthermore, the law has been approved for suspension of Iran’s cooperation with the IAEA.