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Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Thursday that Tehran's enemies may be able to strike the country's nuclear centers but they cannot deprive it of its ability to build new ones.
He made his comments following a Washington Post report that U.S. intelligence believes Israel may launch a preemptive strike on Iran’s nuclear sites in Fordow and Natanz by mid-year, aiming to exploit damage to Iranian air defenses from an IDF attack in October.
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Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian with a portrait of slain Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah
"They threaten us that they will hit nuclear facilities... If you (the enemy) strike a hundred of those we will build a thousand other ones... You can hit the buildings and the places but you cannot hit those who build it," Pezeshkian said, according to state media.
U.S. President Donald Trump raised on Monday the possibility of Israel hitting Iran in an interview with Fox News saying he would prefer to make a deal with Iran to prevent it from obtaining a nuclear weapon.
"Everyone thinks Israel, with our help or our approval, will go in and bomb the hell out of them. I would prefer that not to happen," Trump said.
On Thursday, the commander of Iran's conventional air force Hamid Vahedi said: "We tell all countries, friends and foes alike, that our country's doctrine is defensive but we will respond with force against any enemy attack."
Israeli officials believe a potential attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities would have a significant impact, despite U.S. intelligence assessments suggesting it would only delay Tehran’s program by weeks or months, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian reportedly confirmed.
According to American intelligence reports detailed in The Wall Street Journal, Israel is weighing two possible strike options, both of which would require U.S. support for aerial refueling, intelligence gathering and surveillance. Analysts say such reliance underscores Washington’s influence over any Israeli military action.
One attack scenario involves Israeli fighter jets launching ballistic missiles from the air without entering Iranian territory, similar to October's strike. Another option would see aircraft flying over Iranian nuclear sites and deploying bunker-busting bombs, for which the Trump administration recently approved the sale of training kits.
The intelligence report also suggests Israel would pressure the Trump administration to back the operation, with officials assessing that Trump is more likely to support direct U.S. involvement than his predecessor, Joe Biden. Sources familiar with the matter indicate Israel fears that its window of opportunity to halt Iran’s nuclear advancements is closing.
During Trump’s initial days in office, U.S. intelligence noted that Israel was considering a strike on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure. American military officials reportedly believe that given the complexity of such an operation against fortified sites, Israeli forces would likely require direct U.S. military assistance.
The Wall Street Journal also cited Defense Minister Israel Katz, who in November said Iran was "more vulnerable than ever to attacks on its nuclear facilities," adding that Israel had "an opportunity to achieve the most important goal: to thwart and eliminate the existential threat to the State of Israel."
Iran and Israel engaged in tit-for-tat strikes last year amid wider tensions over Israel's war in Gaza.