THE head of the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog has warned that Iran could be in a position to resume uranium enrichment within months, despite suffering significant damage to its nuclear infrastructure following coordinated military strikes by Israel and the United States.
APF cited Rafael Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), telling CBS News on 27 June that Iran “can have, you know, in a matter of months, I would say, a few cascades of centrifuges spinning and producing enriched uranium, or less than that,” according to a transcript released the following day.
The strikes began on 13 June, when Israel launched a bombing campaign on Iranian nuclear and military facilities, citing the need to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon – a goal the Islamic Republic has consistently denied.
The United States followed up with strikes on three key sites believed to be essential to Tehran’s atomic programme.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi (pic) acknowledged that the attacks caused “serious” damage, although he added that full details remain unclear.
Despite former US President Donald Trump’s assertion that the attacks had set back Iran’s nuclear ambitions by “decades,” Grossi offered a more measured assessment: “Some is still standing.”
A major concern now is whether Iran managed to move some or all of its estimated 408.6 kilograms of highly enriched uranium before the attacks. The stockpile is enriched to 60 per cent – well above civilian levels, but still below the threshold for weapons-grade material. If further refined, it could theoretically yield more than nine nuclear warheads.
Grossi conceded, “We don’t know where this material could be,” adding, “So some could have been destroyed as part of the attack, but some could have been moved. So there has to be at some point a clarification.”
Iranian lawmakers have since voted to suspend cooperation with the IAEA, and Grossi’s request to inspect the damaged sites, including the main enrichment facility at Fordo, has been rejected.
“We need to be in a position to ascertain, to confirm what is there, and where is it and what happened,” Grossi said.
In a separate interview with Fox News, Trump claimed Iran had not moved its stockpile. “It’s a very hard thing to do, plus we didn’t give much notice,” he said. “They didn’t move anything.”
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on 28 June reiterated Washington’s support for the IAEA, commending Grossi and his team for their “dedication and professionalism.”
The full interview with Grossi is scheduled to air on Face The Nation With Margaret Brennan on 29 June. - June 29, 2025
