The head of the UN nuclear watchdog, Rafael Grossi, stated on Saturday that Iran will likely be able to begin producing enriched uranium within a matter of months, despite recent damage to several nuclear facilities caused by US and Israeli attacks, according to CBS News.
Israel launched a bombing campaign on Iranian nuclear and military sites on June 13, claiming the attacks aimed to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon, a goal the Islamic Republic has consistently denied.
The United States subsequently targeted three key facilities used for Tehran’s atomic program. Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, described the extent of the damage to the nuclear sites as “serious,” though the details remain unclear. Donald Trump asserted that Iran’s nuclear program had been set back “decades,” a claim challenged by Grossi.
Grossi, director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), stated, “Some [facilities] are still standing.” He predicted that Iran could have “a few cascades of centrifuges spinning and producing enriched uranium, or less than that, within months.”
A key question remains whether Iran successfully relocated some or all of its approximately 408.6kg (900lbs) stockpile of highly enriched uranium before the assaults. Although the uranium is enriched to 60% – higher than levels meant for civilian use but still below weapons grade – if further refined, it would theoretically suffice for producing more than nine nuclear bombs.
Grossi admitted to CBS, “We don’t know where this material could be,” indicating that while some might have been destroyed in the attacks, some could have been moved. He emphasized the need for clarification on this matter.
Currently, the IAEA faces a hurdle as Iranian lawmakers voted to suspend cooperation with the agency, and Tehran has refused Grossi’s request to visit the damaged facilities, including Fordow, a main uranium enrichment site. Visiting these locations is necessary, Grossi said, “to ascertain, confirm what is there, where is it, and what happened.”
In a separate interview with Fox News’s Sunday Morning Futures program, Trump stated he does not believe the stockpile was moved, citing the short notice before the attacks. The US Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, also underscored Washington’s support for the IAEA’s verification and monitoring efforts in Iran, praising Grossi and his agency for their professionalism.
The full interview with Grossi will be featured on Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan on Sunday.
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jun/29/iran-will-likely-be-able-to-produce-enriched-uranium-in-a-matter-of-months-iaea-chief-says
