Key Points and Summary – A high-stakes war of words has erupted between Washington and Tehran, with President Trump threatening to “obliterate” Iran’s nuclear sites again if necessary.
-The threat came in response to Iran’s Foreign Minister defiantly stating that uranium enrichment is a “question of national pride” that will not be abandoned.
-This escalating rhetoric follows a new ultimatum from the U.S. and its European allies, giving Iran until the end of August to agree to a new nuclear deal or face the “snapback” of crippling UN sanctions, a move Iran has warned could lead to it pursuing a nuclear weapon.
Iran Might Be Hit Again…
U.S. President Donald Trump warned this week that the United States could strike Iran’s nuclear facilities again if Tehran refuses to wind down its program. Writing on social media, Trump said that the U.S. would launch fresh strikes against Iran “if necessary.”
“Of course they are, just like I said, and we will do it again, if necessary!” Trump said.
The president’s comments came in response to an interview with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in which he told Fox News that Tehran has no intentions of abandoning its nuclear ambitions.
Araghchi said that Iran will not comply with threats from the United States, its European allies, and the United Nations issued earlier this month.
Tehran was warned that unless progress is made to wind down the program, or if efforts are made to recover enriched uranium from its Fordow site, pre-2015 sanctions would be reimplemented.
Iran was given a deadline of the end of August to either agree to a deal or demonstrate that it is willing to re-engage with negotiators in good faith.
“We cannot give up enrichment because it is an achievement of our own scientists,” Araghchi told Fox. “And now, more than that, it is a question of national pride.”
The Iranian foreign minister added that “enrichment is so dear to us.”
During the same interview, Araghchi reaffirmed previous comments made by Iranian officials that the country’s nuclear sites were “seriously damaged.”
He added that the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran is currently assessing the extent of the damage.
Sanctions Incoming
On Monday, July 14, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the foreign ministers of Germany, France, and the United Kingdom agreed during a phone call to a deadline for reaching a new nuclear deal with Iran.
If Tehran doesn’t comply by the end of August, U.S. and European officials agreed that they will trigger the “snapback” mechanism, reimposing UN sanctions against Iran.
In response, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi argued that the snapback mechanism was legally baseless and unjustified, warning that reinstating sanctions would only worsen the conflict.
“It has been seven years that the nuclear deal is not being implemented by the Europeans following the U.S. departure from it. How can they argue that Iran is not following the deal when they themselves have not done so?” Gharibabadi argued.
On July 17, Araghchi also took to social media to urge Britain, France, Germany, and the European Union to drop “worn-out policies of threat and pressure.”
About the Author:
Jack Buckby is a British author, counter-extremism researcher, and journalist based in New York. Reporting on the U.K., Europe, and the U.S., he works to analyze and understand left-wing and right-wing radicalization, and reports on Western governments’ approaches to the pressing issues of today. His books and research papers explore these themes and propose pragmatic solutions to our increasingly polarized society. His latest book is The Truth Teller: RFK Jr. and the Case for a Post-Partisan Presidency.
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