Iran can again restart enriching uranium in 'months', says IAEA chief

The head of the UN's nuclear watchdog, Rafael Grossi, noted the IAEA has avoided confirming whether Iran had, or was, close, to having nuclear weapons

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi has stated that recent US airstrikes on Iran failed to deliver lasting damage to the country's nuclear infrastructure. The head of the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog stated that Iran could resume uranium enrichment “in a matter of months", a view that contradicts US President Donald Trump’s assertion that the strikes set Tehran’s nuclear ambitions back by "decades".

 

Iran capable of restarting nuclear activities

 

In an interview with CBS’ Margaret Brennan, Grossi said that Iran possessed the necessary industrial and technological capacities and that if the country chose to do so, it would be able to resume its nuclear activities. He added that while the damage to Iran’s nuclear facilities was significant, it was not complete.

 

Israel-Iran conflict

 

The 12-day conflict between Israel and Iran was triggered earlier this month by an unprecedented Israeli strike aimed, according to Israeli officials, at preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. Iran has maintained that its nuclear activities are solely for "peaceful purposes".

 

Following Israel’s action, the US launched strikes on three major Iranian nuclear sites before a ceasefire took effect. The scale and success of the damage inflicted have since been subject to intense scrutiny.

 

Pentagon assessment echoed by IAEA

 

Grossi’s remarks appear to align with an initial evaluation from the US Defense Intelligence Agency, which indicated that the American attacks on key Iranian nuclear facilities last week did not eliminate the essential elements of Iran’s nuclear programme. Instead, they likely caused only a short-term setback of several months. Despite the lack of definitive military and intelligence conclusions, Trump has continued to claim the strikes “completely and totally obliterated” Iran’s nuclear capabilities.

 

Intercepted Iranian communications suggest limited damage

 

In recent days, US military sources have shared details regarding the strategic planning of the strikes, though they have not presented new evidence confirming their effectiveness. Meanwhile, The Washington Post reported on Sunday that intercepted communications among senior Iranian officials revealed internal discussions suggesting the damage from the strikes was less severe than anticipated.