Iran has the ability to start enriching uranium again – for a possible bomb – in “months”, the head of the United Nations Nuclear Energy Agency said.
Raphael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (International Atomic Energy Agency), said that US strikes on three Iranian sites last week caused severe damage but “not”, contradicting Donald Trump’s claim that Iranian nuclear facilities were “completely obliterated.”
“Frankly, one cannot claim that everything has disappeared and nothing is there,” said Grossi on Saturday.
Israel attacked the nuclear and military sites in Iran on June 13, claiming that Iran was about to build a nuclear weapon.
The United States later joined the strikes, as it dropped the bombs on three Iranian nuclear facilities: Fordo, Natanz and Izhan.
Since then, the true extent of the damage was not clear.
On Saturday, Grosso told CBS News, the American media partner, that Tehran could be “within months … some centrifugal waterfalls revolve and produce enriched uranium.”
He added that Iran still has “industrial and technological capabilities … so if they wish to do so, they will be able to start doing this again.”
The International Atomic Energy Agency is not the first body to indicate that Iranian nuclear capabilities are still ongoing – earlier this week, The first leaked Pentagon evaluation I found American strikes that may only restore the program again months.
However, future intelligence reports can include more information that explains a different level of damage to the facilities.
Trump strongly replied by announcing that Iranian nuclear sites were “completely destroyed” and accused the media of “an attempt to cancel one of the most successful military strikes in history.”
At the present time, Iran and Israel have agreed to a ceasefire.
But Trump said that he “will fully think about bombing Iran again if intelligence found that he could enrich uranium at levels.
On Sunday, the Chief of Staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, Abdul Alam Musafi, said that Tehran was not convinced that Israel would commit to a ceasefire.
“We did not start the war, but we responded to the founder with all our strength, and because we doubt the enemy’s compliance with its obligations, including the ceasefire, we are ready to respond by force” If you are attacked again, Mousavi was reported by State TV.
Iran, on the other hand, has sent conflicting messages about the resulting damage.
In a speech on Thursday, Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khawni said that the strikes had not achieved a great thing. However, Foreign Minister Abbas Aragichi said that the “excessive and serious” damage had occurred.
Iran, which was already recruited with the International Atomic Energy Agency, faced Wednesday, when Parliament moved to suspend cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency, accusing the International Atomic Energy Agency with Israel and the United States.
Tehran rejected the request of the International Atomic Energy Agency to search for damaged facilities, and on Friday, Aragchi said on X, “Jarusi’s insistence on visiting the sites of bombing under the pretext of guarantees is meaningless and perhaps malicious in the intention.”
Israel and the United States attacked Iran after the International Atomic Energy Agency found last month that Tehran was violating its obligations other than the first time in 20 years.
Iran insists that its nuclear program is peaceful, and for civil use only.
Despite the Iranian refusal to work with his organization, Grosso said he hoped to negotiate with Tehran.
“I must sit with Iran and look at this, because at the end of the day, this entire matter, after the military strikes, will have a long -term solution, it can only be a diplomat,” he said.
Under a 2015 nuclear deal with global powers, Iran was not allowed to enrich uranium above 3.67 % of purity – the required level of fuel for commercial nuclear power plants – and was not allowed to implement any enrichment at the Fordo Factory for 15 years.
However, Trump abandoned the agreement during his first term in 2018, saying that he did not do much to stop a path to a bomb and restore US sanctions.
Iran has risen by increasingly violating restrictions – especially those related to enrichment. Fordo enrichment resumed in 2021 and collected enough 60 % enriched uranium to manufacture nine nuclear bombs, according to the International Agency.
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2025-06-29 10:30:00