The statement comes in defiance of US President Donald Trump’s<\/a> threat to order fresh attacks should Tehran try to repair the four sites\u00a0hit, including the Natanz<\/a> uranium enrichment complex and Isfahan nuclear power plant.<\/p>\n Iran<\/a> has been in an on-off confrontation with the West over its nuclear program for more than two decades, since secret enrichment sites were exposed.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n During a visit to the country’s nuclear agency, Pezeshkian said Iran would “not be set back” in rebuilding the damaged sites.<\/p>\n “Destroying buildings and factories will not create a\u00a0problem for us,” he said. “We will rebuild and with greater strength.”<\/p>\n He stressed once again, in a video posted to social media,\u00a0that Tehran was not pursuing a nuclear weapons<\/a> program and insisted its plans were purely civilian in nature.<\/p>\n “It’s all intended for solving the problems of the people, for disease, for the health of the people,” Pezeshkian added.<\/p>\n Iran’s nuclear program has defied Western scrutiny since 2003, when covert enrichment facilities were uncovered, sparking\u00a0two decades of sanctions<\/a>, sabotage\u00a0and failed talks.<\/p>\n Tensions had been building this year after Iran enriched uranium to 83% purity in April \u2014 far beyond civilian needs and also well below the level needed for nuclear weapons. Tehran then expelled IAEA inspectors in May, prompting threats from the United States\u00a0and Israel<\/a>.<\/p>\n Israel views Iran’s nuclear program\u00a0as an existential threat and in June, waged a 12-day war<\/a>\u00a0against the Islamic Republic, targeting\u00a0Iran’s nuclear facilities, with the help of US B-2 bombers that\u00a0can reach deeply buried sites.<\/p>\n Trump claimed at the time that Iran’s\u00a0nuclear program\u00a0had been destroyed, while Tehran spoke of\u00a0severe damage.<\/p>\n There is no independent assessment of the destruction as\u00a0Tehran has ceased all cooperation<\/a> with the International Atomic\u00a0Energy Agency<\/a> (IAEA).<\/p>\nWhat did the Iranian president say?<\/h2>\n
Why did the US, Israel attack Iran’s nuclear program?<\/h2>\n
Iran rejects new UN sanctions as illegal<\/h2>\n