Tehran (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Iran announced on Monday that it will hold the United States accountable for attacks on its nuclear facilities. It also linked future negotiations with Washington to its accountability for the June attacks on nuclear sites, while explicitly ruling out direct talks with the US.
In June 2025, the United States targeted multiple Iranian nuclear facilities, marking an escalation in the conflict initiated by Israel, which had previously halted initial negotiations concerning Iran’s nuclear program.
“In any possible negotiations… the issue of holding the United States accountable and demanding compensation for committing military aggression against Iran’s peaceful nuclear facilities will be one of the points on the agenda,”
Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baqai stated at a press conference on Monday.
Questioned whether Tehran would participate in direct discussions with the United States, he responded: “No.”
Baqaei stated on Monday that Iran remains committed to the nuclear non-proliferation treaty but criticized the IAEA for its “politicized and unprofessional approach.”
How did the June attacks affect nuclear negotiations?
In June 2025, Israel began an extraordinary military campaign against Iran involving not less 9 key Iranian nuclear sites and military targets over a twelve-day series of attempts.
The Twelve-Day War started at 22:10 on June 13, when Israel began a massive air operation consisting of more than 30 F-15 and F-16 fighters and bombers to attack a variety of key Iranian sites including but not limited to the Natanz Nuclear Facility, Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant, Isfahan Nuclear Technology Centre, Hamadan Airbase, Tabriz Airbase, and military headquarters in Tehran.
What role did the US play in Operation Midnight Hammer?
On June 22, the United States escalated its involvement in the conflict by launching US attacks against the deeply entrenched Iranian nuclear facilities at Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan under “Operation Midnight Hammer.” The US attacks relied heavily on B-2 bombers and Tomahawk missiles using heavy bunker-buster ordnance.
The fighting disrupted negotiations between Tehran and Washington that began in April and marked the highest level of talks since 2018, when the US withdrew from the landmark Iran nuclear agreement.
After the war, Tehran ceased cooperating with the UN’s nuclear agency and demanded assurances against military strikes, prior to the resumption of negotiations.
