Iranian President Masoud Pezeskhian said Tehran aims to rebuild nuclear facilities damaged in the attacks by US and Israeli forces in June. During a visit to the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran (AEOI), Pezeshkian said Iran would "not be set back" in rebuilding the damaged sites.
"Destroying buildings and factories will not create a problem for us," he said. "We will rebuild and with greater strength."
He stressed once again that Iran was not pursuing a nuclear weapons programme, insisting its plans were purely civilian and that world powers are well aware of this.
"It is all intended to solve the problems of the people, for disease, for the health of the people," he noted. “Nevertheless,” he said, “they use this false claim as a pretext to hinder Iran’s progress.”
During his visit to the AEOI, Pezeshkian toured an exhibition showcasing the latest achievements of Iranian nuclear scientists in the fields of healthcare, medical technology and radiopharmaceutical production. Honouring the memory of those killed during the 12-day war in June, including a number of Iranian nuclear scientists, Pezeshkian described the efforts of the nuclear experts as a form of scientific jihad and a sincere service to the nation. He stressed that the production of radiopharmaceuticals and development of modern medical technologies are essential national needs that must be pursued with greater speed and determination.
Highlighting Iran’s strong position in radiopharmaceutical production and its potential in the global medical market, Pezeshkian said: "For our country, embracing advanced technologies and entering global competition is vital. Arrogant powers seek to deprive independent nations, including Iran, of access to modern technologies, keeping them dependent while they produce and sell medicines at exorbitant prices.
“Our products’ quality, effectiveness and affordability will make Iran a leader in this field,” he said, adding that the assassinations targeting Iranian scientists stem from the concern of major powers over Iran’s scientific and technological independence. He urged greater efforts to communicate the peaceful applications of nuclear technology and to counter “biased propaganda that equates nuclear energy with weaponry”.
US President Donald Trump previously warned that if Iran’s facilities resume operations, he could order new strikes. “If Tehran does not pursue peace – future strikes will be far more extensive,” he said.
However, Mikhail Ulyanov, Russia's Permanent Representative to the International Organisations in Vienna, told RIA Novosti: "Whether Iran will take further steps in developing its nuclear programme remains to be seen. This will be determined by the Iranian authorities themselves. In principle, the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapon (NPT) does not provide for any strict restrictions or prohibitions, provided that nuclear activities are carried out exclusively for peaceful purposes and are effectively monitored by the IAEA [International Atomic Energy Agency].”
Since 18 October, when UN Security Council Resolution 2231 and the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action expired, Iran’s nuclear programme is no longer under UN scrutiny. Iran, supported by Russia and China, has made clear that it is now bound solely by its rights and obligations under the NPT, with no additional limitations either imposed or recognised.
Iran’s Vice-President and Head of the AEOI, Mohammad Eslami, has confirmed plans to construct eight new nuclear power units along the country’s southern and northern coasts in cooperation with Russia. He made the announcement during President Pezeshkian’s meeting with senior officials of Iran’s nuclear industry.
Eslami stated that Iran’s nuclear sector, despite decades of pressure since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, has continued to advance as a symbol of scientific self-reliance. He highlighted that the AEOI has become a pioneering, knowledge-based institution dedicated to technological innovation and commercialisation.
He said the organisation is currently implementing the third year of its long-term strategic road map, which envisions producing 20,000MW-electrical of nuclear electricity by 2041. He said multiple feasibility and design studies have been completed to achieve this goal, emphasising that the plan is economically viable and will attract investors due to its self-sustaining financial model.
Referring to the agreement with Russia, Eslami explained that following the successful operation of the first Bushehr nuclear plant in 2013, a new contract was concluded between Tehran and Moscow for the construction of four additional reactors in Bushehr and four others at sites to be announced by the government.
He added that Iran also plans to build additional nuclear plants in various regions, including projects in Darkhovin (Khuzestan Province) and a newly initiated nuclear power project on the Caspian coast in Golestan Province, where construction has already started.
Iran is also planning to launch its first nuclear desalination plant next year using Iranian nuclear technology. Eslami said the project will be launched alongside the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant (NPP). The first phase of the plant will come online in the calendar year starting late March 2026, with a capacity of 70,000m³ a day.
The nuclear desalination plant will use the heat or electricity generated by a nuclear reactor to power the process of removing salt and minerals from seawater or brackish water. Iran has already built several traditional desalination plants along the Persian Gulf coast.
Meanwhile, Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araqchi has affirmed that Tehran will not engage in direct negotiations with the US, although it remains open to reaching an agreement through indirect channels. In an interview with Al Jazeera, he said Iran is prepared to discuss concerns surrounding its nuclear programme but stressed that this would not involve face-to-face talks. “We have no desire to hold direct negotiations with Washington, but an agreement can be achieved through indirect negotiations,” he stated.
He emphasised the peaceful intent of Iran’s nuclear activities, but insisted that uranium enrichment will continue, arguing that external pressure or conflict would not force Tehran to abandon its nuclear advancements. “What could not be achieved by war cannot be achieved through politics,” he said.
Araqchi also revealed that Iran’s 400kg stockpile of 60%-enriched uranium remains buried beneath the rubble of its bombed nuclear sites and has not been relocated. He was referring to the Israeli US bombing of Iran’s Natanz, Fordow and Isfahan facilities in June. “We suffered heavy structural and equipment losses, but our nuclear technology remains intact,” he noted.
Before the attacks, Iran and the US had completed five rounds of indirect negotiations aimed at easing US sanctions and resolving disputes over Tehran’s nuclear programme. In recent months, Washington has repeatedly urged Iran to halt uranium enrichment, something Araqchi insisted is non-negotiable. He added that Iran is fully prepared for any possible situation and expects hostile action from Israel.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ismail Baghaei subsequently told a press conference that Iran is exchanging messages with the US through intermediaries but stressed that there are no plans to resume nuclear negotiations.
Relations with the IAEA also remain strained. In July, President Pezeshkian signed into law a bill passed by parliament in June obliging the administration to suspend cooperation with the IAEA after the US-Israeli attacks in June. Iranian officials said a politically motivated IAEA resolution had paved the way for the attacks, and also noted the IAEA’s failure to condemn the assault.
The law also bars IAEA inspectors from entering Iran and prohibits the installation of surveillance cameras at nuclear facilities. The legislation comes within the purview of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC), which is the authority that sets defence and security policy. Since then, the SNSC has permitted two exceptions, allowing the IAEA to conduct limited inspections at the Bushehr NPP and Tehran research reactor, which are under a specific safeguards agreement.
Addressing journalists after the recent IAEA Board of Governors meeting, IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi maintained his refusal to condemn the targeted assassination of Iranian nuclear scientists during the June strikes. “I believe that this is not something that as director general of the IAEA falls within my purview,” he said. “I don’t think getting into political criticism, finger-pointing, attribution of guilt and things like that are helpful."
Earlier, at the board meeting, Grossi said talks with Iran on the issue of inspections had made progress, but time is running out. “There is still time, but not much,” he said. “Progress has been made. It is my sincere hope that within the next few days it will be possible to come to a successful conclusion of these discussions in order to facilitate the resumption, the full resumption, of our indispensable work with Iran.”
He said the IAEA and Iran have held several technical meetings in Tehran and Vienna at different levels, noting that the process is “moving in the right direction”.
Baghaei has confirmed that the IAEA is currently carrying out inspections at Bushehr and the Tehran Research Reactor, describing the visits as “normal and necessary”. However, he stressed that the sites bombed by the US and Israel will not be inspected by the IAEA.
