U.S. President Donald Trump has once again threatened military action against Iran, warning that Washington will strike if Tehran attempts to rebuild its nuclear program.
He claimed that Iran’s nuclear capabilities were “destroyed” during the June war, a statement that prompted sharp condemnation from Tehran, which described his remarks as “a clear admission of criminal and illegal action.”
Speaking at an event marking the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Navy in Virginia on Sunday, Trump said, “We fired 30 Tomahawk missiles after B-2s hit every target,” adding that the missiles also successfully struck their objectives.
“Iran wasn’t happy about that,” he continued. “They were about a month away from having a nuclear weapon, and now they have to start all over again. I hope they don’t resume that program, because we’ll deal with it the same way — and we won’t wait long.” Trump added that this outcome “should have been achieved long before” he took office.
He also recounted receiving the B-2 bomber pilots in the Oval Office, saying they told him they had been trained for such a mission for more than two decades, “but it only happened after I arrived.”
In response, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei condemned Trump’s statements, asserting that “admitting to committing a war crime does not legitimize Washington’s actions — it only confirms that it is an outlaw state.”
He stressed that Iran has no intention of negotiating with the United States, saying its current focus is on “assessing the consequences of recent American and European measures.”
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi reiterated that Tehran will continue to defend its right to peaceful nuclear energy, in coordination with like-minded nations. During a meeting with members of the National Security and Foreign Policy Committee of the Islamic Consultative Assembly, Araqchi accused the United States and the European Troika (Britain, Germany, and France) of rejecting diplomacy and deliberately choosing to escalate tensions through renewed sanctions.
Meanwhile, Iran’s judiciary announced the acquittal of Lennart Monterlos, a 19-year-old French-German national arrested last June on charges of espionage. Authorities said the Revolutionary Court cleared him of all charges “based on legal principles and doubts surrounding the alleged crime.”
Monterlos was detained on June 16 in Bandar Abbas, southern Iran, while crossing the country alone by bicycle — during the third day of the war between Israel and Iran.
Tehran and Paris have also reported progress in negotiations for a prisoner exchange, involving two French citizens — Yesil Koler and her companion Jack Paris, detained since 2022 — and an Iranian national held in France.
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