President Donald Trump stated on Friday that Iran has not agreed to allow inspections of its nuclear facilities or to cease enriching uranium.
He made these remarks while speaking with reporters aboard Air Force One.
Trump said he believes Iran’s nuclear program has been permanently disrupted due to recent military action.
However, he cautioned that Tehran could potentially resume nuclear activities elsewhere if it chose to.
He mentioned plans to discuss the Iran situation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during a White House meeting scheduled for Monday.
While en route to New Jersey following Independence Day events, Trump reiterated that any Iranian effort to restart its program would pose a significant issue. He added that Iran had expressed interest in meeting with him.
Meanwhile, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) announced that it had removed its last remaining inspectors from Iran. The move came as a standoff continues over access to nuclear sites hit in coordinated U.S. and Israeli strikes.
The U.S. and Israel allege that Iran has been enriching uranium with the goal of producing nuclear weapons.
Iran maintains that its nuclear efforts are intended solely for peaceful purposes, as the New York Post reported.
Three weeks ago, Israel launched its first military attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities during a 12-day conflict with the Islamic Republic. These strikes were followed by U.S. bombardments.
On June 27, B-2 Stealth Bombers from the U.S. targeted the Fordow nuclear site. Simultaneously, nuclear-powered submarines launched ballistic missiles at facilities in Isfahan and Natanz, located south of Tehran.
Since those attacks, the IAEA has been unable to carry out inspections of Iranian nuclear facilities. Agency Director Rafael Grossi has emphasized that restoring access remains a top objective.
Iran’s parliament responded by passing a law suspending cooperation with the IAEA. The legislation conditions future collaboration on assurances that Iran’s nuclear facilities will not be attacked again.
While Iran has not yet formally notified the IAEA of a suspension, there is currently no timeline for when inspectors might return.
Iran has accused the IAEA of enabling the strikes. Officials in Tehran claim that the agency’s critical May 31 report triggered a resolution by its 35-member Board of Governors, which declared Iran in violation of non-proliferation commitments.
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei addressed the developments during a meeting in Tehran last month, warning against what he described as external pressure campaigns.
Trump and First Lady Melania Trump attended a July 4 celebration at the White House, where they saluted B-2 Bombers during a military flyover.
The recent U.S. and Israeli operations reportedly destroyed or heavily damaged Iran’s three main uranium enrichment sites. However, uncertainty remains over the fate of Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium.
Iran was known to possess about nine tons of enriched uranium before the attacks. That included more than 880 pounds enriched to 60% purity—an enrichment level close to weapons-grade material.
It is not clear whether that material was destroyed, relocated, or remains in place following the bombardments.
I’m sure it’s not intentional, but how come in every photo we see of our presidents) and any other country’s leader(s), our guy always looks the most pathological.