Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has issued a defiant warning in response to mounting speculation that Israel may launch a preemptive strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities in the coming months. Pezeshkian, speaking Thursday in Bushehr, vowed that if Iran’s nuclear program were attacked, it would rebuild and expand at an even greater scale. “If you strike a hundred of those, we will build a thousand more,” Pezeshkian declared, in remarks carried by Iranian state media. “You can target the buildings, but you cannot target those who build them.” Pezeshkian’s remarks follow a Wall Street Journal report that cited U.S. intelligence assessments, suggesting that Israel could launch a major strike on Iran’s nuclear sites in Fordow and Natanz by mid-year. Such an operation would follow the pattern of previous Israeli actions against Iranian military infrastructure, including an October attack that crippled Tehran’s air defense systems and ballistic missile production facilities—a move that severely weakened Iran’s ability to retaliate against Israel. The increased likelihood of an Israeli strike follows Iran’s brazen assault on Israel last year, where Tehran launched 181 ballistic missiles targeting Israeli territory—an attack that led to an unprecedented Israeli counterstrike deep inside Iran. Meanwhile, U.S. President Donald Trump has reinstated his “maximum pressure” campaign against Iran, aiming to choke off Tehran’s oil revenues and prevent it from obtaining nuclear weapons. Trump, however, has also stated his preference for diplomatic negotiations over military action, though he acknowledged in a Fox News interview that Israel could ultimately act on its own. “Everyone thinks Israel, with our help or approval, will go in and bomb the hell out of them,” Trump said. “I would prefer that not to happen.” Iran’s so-called Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei swiftly rejected any talk of negotiations with Washington, calling such discussions “unwise and dishonorable.” Despite Tehran’s claims that its nuclear ambitions are solely for civilian purposes, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reported in December that Iran has ramped up uranium enrichment to 60% purity—just shy of the 90% level needed for nuclear weapons. A joint statement from the UK, France, and Germany dismissed Iran’s explanations, saying that “there is no credible civilian justification” for its nuclear activity. Western intelligence agencies have warned that Iran is fast approaching the capability to build multiple nuclear weapons, should it decide to do so. Reports indicate that Israel is weighing two primary options for a strike on Iran’s nuclear program: Fighter jets launching ballistic missiles from a distance, without entering Iranian airspace; or direct airstrikes using bunker-busting bombs, a method that would require U.S. support for aerial refueling and intelligence gathering. (YWN World Headquarters – NYC)