WASHINGTON 

US President Donald Trump defended American strikes last month on three of Iran’s nuclear facilities, warning Tehran that Washington would strike again “if necessary.”

“We will do it again, if necessary!” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform Monday, reacting to Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi’s remarks that the facilities had been “seriously damaged.”

“Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, on the Iran Nuclear Sites: “Damages are very severe, they are destroyed.” Of course they are, just like I said,” Trump wrote, calling on CNN to fire one of its reporters and accusing the network of downplaying the success of US pilots who “OBLITERATED” the sites.

CNN cited an early US intelligence assessment which suggested that the US strikes set back Iran's nuclear program only by months rather than destroying it.

Araghchi’s remarks came during an interview with Fox News’ Bret Baier, where he said: “Our facilities have been damaged – seriously damaged…the extent of which is now under evaluation by our atomic energy organization.”

The foreign minister also signaled that Iran has no intention of abandoning its uranium enrichment program.

“We cannot give up enrichment because it is an achievement of our own scientists. And now, more than that, it is a question of national pride,” he told Fox.

The remarks came as a new round of nuclear negotiations between Iran and the three European countries known as the E3—the UK, France and Germany—is set to take place in Istanbul, Türkiye on Friday.

Talks between Tehran and the US were being held through Omani mediators until Israel’s surprise attack on Iran on June 13, which triggered a 12-day war. The attack came just two days before a planned sixth round of nuclear talks in the Omani capital Muscat.

The US joined the Israeli war with Iran on June 22, striking three Iranian nuclear sites.