Following the coordinated aerial assault led by Israel and supported by the United States against Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, is warning that Tehran may be able to restart its uranium enrichment operations within months.
In a conversation with CBS News—excerpts of which were published yesterday ahead of the full interview airing today—Grossi acknowledged that while the strikes caused some damage to Iranian nuclear installations, “some is still standing.”
“They 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,” Grossi explained, emphasizing the limited timeframe Iran would need to resume its program.
On June 13, Israel launched a series of attacks targeting Iranian nuclear and military assets. The operation was reportedly intended to halt Tehran’s nuclear ambitions. Shortly thereafter, the United States took part in the campaign, targeting three central installations believed to play critical roles in Iran’s nuclear efforts.
One of the chief concerns of Western powers is the fate of the 408.6 kilograms of uranium that Iran had enriched to 60 percent—far exceeding levels typically used for civilian purposes. If refined further, this stockpile could provide enough material for the assembly of multiple nuclear weapons.
“We don’t know where this material could be,” Grossi admitted during the CBS interview. “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.”
Complicating the global watchdog’s efforts, Iran’s parliament recently voted to halt its cooperation with the IAEA. Grossi’s request to inspect the damaged sites, particularly the Fordow enrichment facility, has also been turned down by Iranian authorities.
“We need to be in a position to ascertain, to confirm what is there, and where is it and what happened,” Grossi urged, highlighting the importance of access and transparency in the wake of the strikes.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi confirmed Thursday that the military campaign led by Israel had resulted in “serious” harm to Iran’s nuclear installations, marking the first official Iranian acknowledgment of the extent of the damage.
“A detailed assessment of the damage is being carried out by experts from the Atomic Energy Organization (of Iran),” Araghchi said in a statement broadcast on state-run television.
He further noted that Iran was considering diplomatic steps to address the destruction, saying, “Now, the discussion of demanding damages and the necessity of providing them has been placed as one of the important issues on the country’s diplomatic agenda.”
Araghchi emphasized that the situation remains dire, stating, “These damages are serious, and expert studies and political decision-making are underway at the same time.”
His comments seemed to reinforce earlier declarations by US President Donald Trump, who had consistently maintained that the US-led airstrikes in coordination with Israel had “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear facilities.

{Matzav.com}