Iran vows stronger response if attacked again by Israel or US

Foreign Minister responds to Donald Trump warning that US would 'wipe out' nuclear facilities if enrichment programme restarts

An Iranian holds up an anti-US placard during a protest after the Friday prayers in Tehran. AP

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has warned that Tehran would respond to Israel or the US in a “more decisive manner” if they attacked the country again.

The remarks appear to be in response to US President Donald Trump who said on Monday that he would order fresh American attacks on Iran's nuclear facilities if Tehran tried to resume enriching uranium.

“If aggression is repeated, we will not hesitate to react in a more decisive manner and in a way that will be IMPOSSIBLE to cover up,” Mr Araghchi said in a post on X. “If there are concerns about the possible diversion of our nuclear programme into non-peaceful purposes, the 'military option' proved incapable – but a negotiated solution may work,” he added.

Iran has repeatedly denied it has been seeking nuclear weapons and has said its programme is for peaceful purposes only.

Mr Trump issued the threat as he held talks with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer at his Turnberry golf resort on the west coast of Scotland. He told reporters Iran has been sending out “nasty signals” and any effort to restart its nuclear programme would be immediately stopped.

“We wiped out their nuclear possibilities. They can start again. If they do, we'll wipe it out faster than you can wave your finger at it,” Mr Trump said.

Before the war broke out, the US and Iran were divided over uranium enrichment – with Tehran describing it as a “non-negotiable” right and Washington calling it a “red line”. Indirect nuclear negotiations between the two foes were derailed when Israel attacked Iran on June 13, starting a 12-day war.

The US briefly joined the war, striking nuclear sites but it still remains unclear how devastating the damage was. Iran has acknowledged that its facilities sustained damage but the UN nuclear watchdog is particularly concerned about the whereabouts of Iran's stocks of some 400kg of highly enriched uranium.

In an interview with Iran's state TV aired on Sunday, Mr Araghchi said the decision to engage diplomatically towards a ceasefire was “what prevented the war from spiralling into a wider regional catastrophe”.