Iran holds the initiative after nuclear strikes, Shamkhani says
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Ali Shamkhani says Iran’s nuclear expertise, materials, and political will remain intact after attacks, warning: "The surprises will continue."
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Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council Ali Shamkhani speaks with then-Syrian Prime Minister Imad Khamis in a meeting in Tehran, Iran, Tuesday, January 17, 2017 (AP)
Ali Shamkhani, a senior adviser of Islamic Revolution leader Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Khamenei, emphasized on Sunday that the recent attacks on Iran’s nuclear facilities do not signify the end of the confrontation, warning that Iran still holds significant strategic advantages.
In a post on X, Shamkhani wrote: “Even assuming the complete destruction of the facilities, the game is not over; enriched materials, domestic expertise, and political will remain intact.”
He added that the initiative, both political and operational, now lies with the side that "knows how to play intelligently and avoids firing indiscriminately," suggesting that Iran's response would be impactful.
Strategic deterrence, sustained capabilities
Shamkhani’s remarks follow intensified US and Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear infrastructure, including major sites at Natanz and Fordow. Despite the damage, Iranian officials continue to assert that the core of the country’s nuclear program, knowledge, enrichment stockpiles, and national resolve, remain unaffected.
"The surprises will continue," Shamkhani warned, signaling that Tehran has more calculated moves to come amid escalating regional tensions.
حتى مع افتراض تدمير المنشآت بالكامل، فإن اللعبة لن تنتهي؛ لأن المواد المخصّبة و #الخبرة_المحلية و #الإرادة_السياسية ما زالت قائمة. والآن، المبادرة السياسية والعملية مع الحق في #الدفاع_المشروع في يد الطرف الذي يُجيد اللعب بذكاء ويتجنّب إطلاق النار العشوائي. المفاجآت ستستمر!
— علی شمخانی (@alishamkhani_ir) June 22, 2025
Following the United States’ airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, senior Iranian lawmakers have raised the possibility of withdrawing from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and closing the strategic Strait of Hormuz in retaliation.
The warnings come after US President Donald Trump announced, in a post in Truth Social, on Sunday at dawn, that the United States carried out what he described as a "very successful attack" on three Iranian nuclear facilities: Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan.
Iran implemented measures to safeguard infrastructure
Esmail Kowsari, a prominent member of Iran’s National Security and Foreign Policy Committee in Parliament, affirmed that the country had already implemented protective measures to safeguard its nuclear infrastructure. He dismissed allegations of severe damage to Iran’s nuclear program, calling them “baseless claims," and insisted that “Tehran has accurate intelligence disproving such assertions.”
Kowsari revealed that authorities are actively weighing a possible exit from the NPT. “We are reviewing the option of withdrawing from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty,” he said, noting that the parliamentary committee would soon hold an emergency session to assess the American attack and formulate Iran’s official response.
Reiterating Iran’s commitment to Resistance, Kowsari warned that “our armed forces will certainly continue striking the Zionist entity,” adding, “US military bases across the region will not remain secure. Hitting them will be far easier than targeting the Israeli regime.”
He further cautioned that Iran is prepared to escalate militarily if necessary, stating, “The closure of the Strait of Hormuz is on the table. We will definitely implement it if the situation requires.”
