Tensions in the Middle East escalated sharply this weekend after U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed airstrikes on three of Iran’s key nuclear facilities. But in a defiant response, Iran said the attacks failed to cause serious damage—because they had already cleared out enriched uranium and critical equipment from the sites.
The strikes targeted the Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan nuclear sites, with Trump declaring via social media that a “full payload of bombs” had been dropped, especially on the heavily fortified Fordow facility. “All planes are now outside of Iranian airspace,” he added. “A very successful attack.”
However, Iranian officials tell a different story.
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi condemned the assault as a “criminal aggression” and accused the U.S. of intentionally sabotaging diplomatic efforts that were already underway. “Last week we were in talks with the U.S. when Israel disrupted diplomacy. Now, this week, it’s the U.S. doing the same,” Araghchi said in a strongly worded statement posted on X (formerly Twitter).
“What conclusion would you draw?” he asked pointedly, referencing recent European mediation attempts.
Araghchi went further, accusing Washington of violating international law, the UN Charter, and the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). “Iran never left the negotiating table, yet we are the ones being asked to ‘return’,” he said, directing his frustration at Britain and EU officials.
Iran’s message was loud and clear: they saw the strikes not just as hostile, but as a dangerous and deliberate attempt to derail diplomacy.
According to Iranian state outlets like IRIB and Mehr News, Iran had anticipated such an attack and quietly moved its enriched uranium and sensitive equipment from the three facilities “some time ago.” In essence, Iran is suggesting that the U.S. bombs fell on largely empty buildings.
The narrative was echoed by sources cited in the Hindustan Times: “Enriched uranium stockpiles moved out of sites beforehand,” one source said. “U.S. strikes on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure in vain? Tehran says it had evacuated the sites earlier.”
While the physical damage may be limited, the political fallout is far from over.
“These events are outrageous and will have everlasting consequences,” Araghchi warned. “Iran reserves all options to defend its sovereignty, interests, and people.”
The world now watches anxiously as tensions simmer. Diplomats fear that the window for peaceful resolution may be narrowing—fast. What comes next could reshape the region’s security landscape for years to come.
