Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi opened up about Iran’s stockpile of nuclear material in a recent interview, saying that Tehran currently did not have access to them.
In an interview with CBS News, Araghchi was quizzed about Iran’s 440 kg stockpile of nuclear material, which he clarified was declared by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
Where is Iran’s nuclear material?
Asked about where Iran’s nuclear material was now, Araghchi replied, “They are under the rubble.”
“Our nuclear facilities were attacked, and everything is under the rubble,” he explained, referring to earlier strikes carried out by the Donald Trump administration in June 2025, when the US bombed nuclear facilities at Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan.
Araghchi, however, did say there was scope for retrieving the nuclear material, but only under strict oversight.
“There is the possibility to retrieve them, but under the supervision of the agency. If one day we come to the conclusion to do that, it would be under the supervision of the agency,” he said, referring to the IAEA.
The Iranian foreign minister also clarified that Tehran had no intentions of retrieving the material at the moment, telling CBS News, “But for the time being, we have no program. We have no plan to recover them from under the rubble.”
What Iran offered US in nuclear talks
During the interview, Araghchi was also asked about the US-Iran nuclear talks that were taking place before Trump launched Operation Epic Fury on 28 February.
Araghchi clarified that Iran was ready to dilute its 440 kg of 60% enriched Uranium during talks with the US — “Well, that was one of the elements of a deal that we were negotiating with our, you know, American interlocutors. That element dealt with the question of Iran’s 60% enriched material, and I offered actually, that we are ready to dilute those enriched material, or down blend them, as they say, into lower percentage,” the Iranian foreign minister said.
“That was a big offer, a big concession in order to prove that Iran has never wanted nuclear weapons and would never want them,” he added.
Iran’s nuclear material, now confirmed to be buried, was targeted by the Trump administration in Operation Midnight Hammer.
In June 2025, the US, utilizing advanced B-2 stealth bombers and bunker-buster munitions carried out strikes against Iran’s nuclear facilities at Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan.
At the time, Trump had claimed that the strikes had “completely and totally obliterated” Iran’s nuclear enrichment facilities, with Araghchi also declaring heavy and serious damage at the Fordow nuclear facility.
No end in sight for Middle East conflict
Araghchi’s comments come at a time when there’s growing uncertainty about the length of the conflict in the Middle East: despite claiming on Truth Social that the US had beaten Iran in every way imaginable — “both militarily, economically, and in every other way” — Trump has refused to declare victory over Iran, with his administration officials suggesting that the conflict may continue for at least three more weeks.
In the interview, Araghchi also indicated that Iran had no intention of backing down either, saying it would continue to defend itself for as long as necessary.
