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Iranian President Pezeshkian Vows to Rebuild & Expand Nuclear Facilities if Attacked Amid Rising Tensions with Israel and the US
Edited by: Fern Sidman
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian issued a defiant warning on Thursday, declaring that any attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities would be met with rapid reconstruction and expansion. His remarks, reported by Algemeiner.com, were seemingly in response to growing speculation about a potential Israeli strike on Iran’s nuclear sites as early as mid-2025. Pezeshkian’s comments reflect the increasing geopolitical tension between Iran, Israel, and the United States over Iran’s nuclear ambitions and regional military activities.
During a speech in the southern province of Bushehr, Pezeshkian insisted that while adversaries might strike Iran’s nuclear sites, they could not eliminate the Iranian expertise behind the program. Algemeiner.com quoted Pezeshkian as saying, “If you strike a hundred of those, we will build a thousand other ones.” His assertion underscores Iran’s commitment to its nuclear program, despite international pressure and the looming threat of military intervention.
This statement follows a Washington Post report indicating that Israel may be preparing a preemptive strike on Iranian nuclear facilities in Fordow and Natanz by mid-year. The assessment, cited by Algemeiner.com, is based on U.S. intelligence evaluations that anticipate Israel may exploit weaknesses in Iran’s military defenses following an earlier attack in October. At that time, Israel had severely damaged Iran’s air defense systems and missile production infrastructure in retaliation for Tehran’s ballistic missile attacks against Israeli territory.
In addition to his warning against military attacks, Pezeshkian criticized U.S. policies towards Iran, accusing Washington of adopting a contradictory stance. According to the information provided in the Algemeiner.com report, he pointed to former President Donald Trump’s mixed signals—expressing interest in a nuclear deal while simultaneously imposing stringent economic sanctions on Tehran. Pezeshkian framed U.S. sanctions as an attempt to “humiliate” Iran and reiterated Tehran’s resolve to overcome economic hardships by relying on domestic resources.
Trump’s “maximum pressure” campaign, recently reinstated through a presidential memorandum, aims to cripple Iran’s oil exports, depriving Tehran of crucial funding for its nuclear and military programs. However, Trump has denied that the U.S. and Israel are planning a military strike on Iran. The report at Algemeiner.com highlighted Trump’s statement in a Fox News interview, where he emphasized his preference for a “nuclear peace agreement” rather than a military confrontation.
Despite Trump’s insistence on diplomacy, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei categorically rejected the idea of negotiations with the U.S., calling it “unwise” and “dishonorable.” As tensions rise, Iranian military leaders have also vowed retaliation in the event of any attack. Algemeiner.com reported that Iran’s Air Force commander, Hamid Vahedi, stated, “Our country’s doctrine is defensive, but we will respond with force against any enemy attack.”
The escalating rhetoric comes amid growing global concerns about Iran’s nuclear program. Algemeiner.com noted that the U.S., Israel, and Western allies fear Iran is secretly advancing its capability to produce nuclear weapons, despite Tehran’s insistence that its program is solely for civilian purposes.
In December, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reported that Iran had significantly increased its uranium enrichment levels, reaching up to 60% purity—a step just short of the 90% threshold needed for nuclear weapons. The Algemeiner.com report also referenced a joint statement from the UK, France, and Germany, which declared that Iran’s enrichment levels had “no credible civilian justification” and could allow Tehran to rapidly develop fissile material for multiple nuclear weapons.
U.S. intelligence estimates suggest that an Israeli strike would only delay Iran’s nuclear program by a matter of weeks or months. However, Israeli officials strongly believe that a military operation would substantially weaken Tehran’s capabilities. The Algemeiner.com report detailed two potential strike options under consideration by Israel: one involving Israeli fighter jets launching ballistic missiles from outside Iranian airspace and another deploying bunker-busting bombs over nuclear sites.
Notably, the Trump administration previously approved the sale of training kits for these types of precision airstrikes, further signaling possible U.S. involvement. Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz has openly declared that Iran is “more vulnerable than ever” to attacks on its nuclear infrastructure. In a statement, Katz asserted, “We have the opportunity to achieve our most important goal – to thwart and eliminate the existential threat to the State of Israel.”
The combination of Israeli military preparations, U.S. sanctions pressure, and Iranian defiance has created a volatile situation in the Middle East. While Israel remains committed to preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, Iran appears equally determined to push forward with its nuclear ambitions.
With military and diplomatic tensions at a breaking point, the coming months could prove decisive in shaping the future of Iran’s nuclear program and the broader security landscape of the Middle East.
Iran serves as the primary international supporter of Hamas, supplying the group with financial resources, weaponry, and military training. Reports citing documents recovered by the Israeli military in Gaza last year indicate that Iran was made aware of Hamas’s planned assault on southern Israel—an attack that involved mass killings and kidnappings of civilians on October 7, 2023—several months in advance.
