US government signals readiness to destroy Iran’s nuclear facilities if needed

US Energy Secretary Chris Wright has made Washington’s position on Iran’s nuclear program about as clear as it gets: talk first, but keep the bombers fueled. Wright said the US prefers a diplomatic resolution to the standoff over Iran’s nuclear ambitions, while confirming that the military option to destroy Iran’s nuclear facilities remains very much alive. The statement lands against a backdrop of already-escalated tensions between the two countries, including US strikes on Iranian nuclear sites in June 2025 that targeted enrichment facilities at Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan. Those operations set off a fierce debate over just how much damage was actually inflicted, and how long it would take Iran to rebuild. What Wright actually said At the IAEA General Conference in September 2025, Wright laid out the US position in unusually direct terms. Iran’s nuclear weapons pathway, he said, must be “completely dismantled.” That means all uranium enrichment and plutonium reprocessing capabilities, not just a pause or a partial rollback. By May 2026, Wright offered a more nuanced assessment. He acknowledged that the military objectives from the June 2025 strikes had been achieved within five w...