The Iranian regime’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, admitted on Thursday that enriched nuclear material remains "under the rubble" of facilities damaged during the recent conflict with Israel, AFP reported.
In a televised interview, Araghchi stated, "all of our material is... under the rubble of the bombed facilities," and said the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran was now assessing the condition and accessibility of the material to submit a report to the Supreme National Security Council.
Araghchi noted that this council, Iran's top security body, is in charge of the country's nuclear affairs.
Araghchi's remarks came just two days after he agreed to a new framework of cooperation with International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Rafael Grossi in Cairo.
The Iranian Foreign Minister insisted Thursday that this new agreement only grants UN nuclear inspectors access after approval from Iran's security body.
This new cooperation framework follows a halt in cooperation with the IAEA after a 12-day war with Israel in June. The halt was prompted by a law passed by the Iranian parliament. Iran has since accused the IAEA of failing to adequately condemn Israel's strikes. In a joint press conference on Wednesday in Egypt, Araghchi said the framework was "fully consistent" with provisions of the law.
Meanwhile, Western powers continue to accuse Iran of seeking nuclear weapons, a claim Tehran denies. In August, Britain, France, and Germany moved to reimpose UN sanctions, citing Iran’s non-compliance with the 2015 nuclear deal. Iran condemned the move as “illegal” and warned it could exclude European powers from future negotiations.
Talks with the United States, which had resumed in April, collapsed following the June strikes. Iran has since demanded guarantees against military action before returning to negotiations. Last week, Iran’s security chief Ali Larijani said Tehran was open to talks but would not accept restrictions on its missile program.