US reaffirms commitment to 2025 nuclear strike against Iran

The White House has reaffirmed its stance that a recent strike against Iran destroyed the country’s nuclear program, following a claim by a senior US official that Tehran is close to acquiring bomb-making material.

According to Karoline Leavitt, the White House spokesperson, the June 2025 attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities, known as Operation Midnight Hammer, was “overwhelmingly successful” and resulted in the destruction of the country’s nuclear program. The attack, which took place during a 12-day war initiated by Israel against Iran, has been verified by President Trump and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

However, Steve Witkoff, President Donald Trump’s envoy, recently stated that Iran is likely to have industrial-grade bomb-making material within a week. This claim contradicts the White House’s assertion that the attack destroyed Iran’s nuclear program.

The US and Iranian officials are set to hold talks this year to reach a nuclear deal and avoid another war. The negotiations come after Trump renewed his threats to attack Iran if it tries to rebuild its nuclear or missile program following a visit by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in December.

Iran has proposed agreeing to minimal uranium enrichment under strict IAEA supervision in exchange for lifting sanctions against its economy, but Trump has insisted on zero enrichment. Enrichment is the process of isolating and concentrating a rare variant of uranium that can produce nuclear fission.

The White House has maintained that diplomacy remains President Trump’s first option, but also stated that the military option against Iran remains on the table.

Source: Al Jazeera