Washington — In an incendiary escalation of US-Iran tensions, US President Donald Trump has vowed to “completely destroy” any new nuclear facilities Iran builds, threatening to strike multiple sites if Tehran proceeds with plans to resume enrichment activities. The outburst, posted to his Truth Social account on Friday, reignited fears of a renewed military confrontation in the Middle East, just as diplomacy between Tehran and Western powers teeters on collapse.
Trump’s remarks came amid Iranian threats to abandon the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and accelerate uranium enrichment beyond the 60% threshold, close to weapons-grade. According to Iranian lawmaker Ebrahim Rezayi, continued Western sanctions may soon render Iran’s participation in international agreements meaningless, pushing the country toward open nuclear advancement.
Adding to the volatility, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian earlier this month suspended all cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), stating that Iran would not resume collaboration unless its nuclear scientists and infrastructure were granted explicit security guarantees. The move effectively blindsided inspectors and left the international community scrambling to assess Tehran’s capabilities amid claims of underground reconstruction efforts in Natanz, Fordow, and Isfahan.
The rhetorical crossfire escalated after the US President boasted that earlier Israeli and American strikes in June had already “obliterated” Iran’s major nuclear sites, claiming the facilities had to be rebuilt “from scratch.” As reported by RIA Novosti Russian News media outlet, Trump declared that any new Iranian construction would be met with “total destruction,” making reestablishment practically impossible.
While the administration has not issued a formal policy clarification, analysts suggest Trump’s inflammatory statements may further undermine Washington’s diplomatic leverage, complicating attempts to de-escalate through backchannel negotiations. The situation is also drawing Russia deeper into the fray. The Kremlin denounced the US and Israel for violating international law and urged the IAEA to take punitive action against what it called “illegal acts of aggression.”
The timeline of events adds gravity to the moment: On June 22, coordinated strikes allegedly involving Israeli and American forces targeted Iran’s primary enrichment centers, triggering retaliatory attacks by Iran on US military assets in the region. Though no American casualties were reported in the attack on the Al-Udeid Air Base in Qatar, the incident underscored how quickly localized conflict could spiral into regional war.
As it stands, the nuclear clock is ticking in Tehran, with satellite imagery and intelligence leaks hinting at reconstruction efforts in hardened underground bunkers. With formal inspections suspended, the West may be flying blind just as Iran accelerates its most controversial nuclear ambitions. A senior Russian diplomat warned that any further Israeli or American aggression could spark “uncontrollable consequences” in the region, a scenario increasingly within reach as Trump fans the flames.
