A senior Iranian official has downplayed the impact of the recent US airstrikes on Iran’s Fordow nuclear facility, saying the site had already been evacuated and did not suffer any irreversible damage.
Mahdi Mohammadi, adviser to Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, made the comments in a social media post following the surprise US attacks, which former President Donald Trump hailed as a "spectacular military success."
“The site has long been evacuated and has not suffered any irreversible damage in the attack,” Mohammadi wrote. He added defiantly, “Two things are certain: First, knowledge cannot be bombed, and second, the gambler will lose this time,” referring to what many interpret as a direct challenge to Trump’s aggressive strategy.
The United States launched airstrikes on the Fordow site and two other nuclear facilities in Iran, marking a sharp escalation in the long-standing US-Iran tensions over Tehran`s nuclear program. Trump, who is running for re-election, warned Iran in his national address that future attacks would be "far greater" if Iran did not choose peace.
Iranian state media initially confirmed the attacks but minimized the extent of the damage, without providing detailed assessments.
Fordow, a heavily fortified nuclear facility located near the city of Qom, has long been a focal point of international concern due to its capacity for uranium enrichment. Though Iran has consistently claimed its nuclear activities are for peaceful purposes, Western powers, particularly the US and Israel, have accused Tehran of pursuing nuclear weapons capability.
Tensions between the US and Iran have steadily worsened since the collapse of the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which Trump unilaterally withdrew from in 2018. The current strikes further complicate already fraught diplomatic efforts in the region.
International observers are closely monitoring the situation, with fears that the latest escalation could trigger broader regional conflict or retaliatory measures by Iran.
