Al Jazeera: Iran Admits to "Serious Damage" at Nuclear Facilities for the First Time

First Statement Three Days After U.S. Airstrikes
"Damage from Repeated Attacks Is Certain"
No Details Provided on Specific Damage

Al Jazeera reported on June 25 (local time) that Esmail Baghaei, spokesperson for the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, acknowledged that Iran's nuclear facilities suffered significant damage as a result of attacks by the United States and Israel.

According to the report, during an interview regarding Iran's decision to suspend cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Baghaei was asked about the condition of the nuclear facilities. He replied, "Yes. Our nuclear facilities have been severely damaged."

If this report is accurate, this would be the first time since the U.S. airstrikes on June 22 that an Iranian government official has admitted to serious damage at the nuclear facilities.

Baghaei went on to say, "Since (the nuclear facilities) have been subjected to repeated attacks, the (damage) is certain. As this is a technical matter, I have nothing further to add," declining to provide further details.

Previously, Iran claimed that although its nuclear facilities in Fordow, Isfahan, and Natanz had been attacked by the United States, the damage was not significant and enriched uranium had already been relocated elsewhere. Mohammad Eslami, head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), stated the previous day that they were assessing the extent of the damage to the targeted nuclear facilities.