Iran nuclear chief says technology cannot be stopped by U.S. attacks

Iran’s atomic energy chief says the country’s nuclear technology cannot be halted by threats, sanctions or military attacks, as U.S. officials continue to warn that Washington could strike Iranian nuclear facilities if diplomatic efforts fail. Mohammad Eslami said Iran’s nuclear advances were built through the work of its scientists and would continue despite U.S. pressure.

Eslami’s remarks assert that Iran’s technical capabilities would survive an attack; they do not establish how nuclear facilities or equipment would fare in a military strike. The statements come as Tehran says it will continue expanding its nuclear power sector, while Washington says it wants to prevent Iran from developing nuclear capabilities.

Iran’s plans for nuclear power

Speaking at an international conference on ecocide, Eslami said Iran would continue a plan to develop 20,000 megawatts of nuclear power generation capacity. He said construction projects had not stopped during the war and would not be halted, though he did not provide a timetable for reaching that capacity.

Atomic Energy Organization spokesman Behrouz Kamalvandi described Iran’s nuclear program as peaceful and said it was under permanent International Atomic Energy Agency supervision. Those are Iranian officials’ claims. Kamalvandi also said IAEA reports showed the program was transparent, but he did not identify specific reports in the remarks described.

What the U.S. has said

U.S. officials have said Washington could attack Iranian nuclear facilities if diplomacy to restrict Tehran’s nuclear activities fails. The material does not identify a specific planned strike or provide a date for any military action. Eslami cited threats by U.S. officials to use tactical weapons and accused Washington of seeking to restrict Iran’s access to nuclear technology.

Eslami also accused Western countries of blocking nuclear cooperation with Iran since the 1979 revolution and said sanctions, sabotage and assassinations had been used to impede the program. He did not detail those allegations at the conference. The extent to which Iran’s facilities could withstand a strike has not been announced by Iranian officials in the remarks described.

This report draws on information from Middle East Eye and Türkiye Today.