Iran has the capacity to start enriching uranium again - for a possible bomb - in "a matter of months", the head of the UN's nuclear watchdog has said. Rafael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said theUS strikes on three Iranian siteslast weekend had caused severe but "not total" damage, contradicting Donald Trump's claim that Iran's nuclear facilities were "totally obliterated". "Frankly speaking, one cannot claim that everything has disappeared and there is nothing there," Grossi said on Saturday. Israel attacked nuclear and military sites in Iran on 13 June, claiming Iran was close to building a nuclear weapon. The US later joined the strikes, dropping bombs on Iran's three nuclear facilities: Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan. Since then, the true extent of the damage has been unclear. On Saturday, Grossi told CBS News, the BBC's US media partner, that Tehran could have "in a matter of months... a few cascades of centrifuges spinning and producing enriched uranium". He added that Iran still possessed the "industrial and technological capacities... so if they so wish, they will be able to start doing this again." The IAEA is not the first body to suggest that Iran's nuclear abilities could still continue - earlier this week,a Pentagon intelligence assessmentfound the US strikes only set the programme back by months. Trump retorted furiously by declaring that Iran's nuclear sites were "completely destroyed" and accused the media of "an attempt to demean one of the most successful military strikes in history". For now, Iran and Israel have agreed to a ceasefire. But Trump has saidhe would "absolutely" consider bombing Iran againif intelligence found that it could enrich uranium to concerning levels. Iran, on the other hand, has sent conflicting messages on how much damage was caused. In a speech on Thursday, Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said the strikes had achieved nothing significant. Its foreign minister Abbas Araghchi, however, said "excessive and serious" damage was done. Iran's already-strained relationship with the IAEA was further challenged on Wednesday, when its parliament moved to suspend cooperation with the atomic watchdog, accusing the IAEA of siding with Israel and the US. The two countries attacked Iran after the UN body last monthfound Tehran to be in breachof its non-proliferation obligations for the first time in 20 years. Iran insists that its nuclear programme is peaceful, and for civilian use only. Despite the Iranian refusal to work with his organisation, Grossi said that he hoped he could still negotiate with Tehran. "I have to sit down with Iran and look into this, because at the end of the day, this whole thing, after the military strikes, will have to have a long-lasting solution, which cannot be but a diplomatic one," he said. Under a 2015 nuclear deal with world powers, Iran was not permitted to enrich uranium above 3.67% purity - the level required for fuel for commercial nuclear power plants - and was not allowed to carry out any enrichment at its Fordo plant for 15 years. However, Trump abandoned the agreement during his first term in 2018, saying it did too little to stop a pathway to a bomb, and reinstated US sanctions. Iran retaliated by increasingly breaching the restrictions - particularly those relating to enrichment. It resumed enrichment at Fordo in 2021 and had amassed enough 60%-enriched uranium to potentially make nine nuclear bombs, according to the IAEA.
Iran could start enriching uranium for bomb within months, UN nuclear chief says
TruthLens AI Suggested Headline:
"IAEA Chief Warns Iran May Resume Uranium Enrichment for Weapons Soon"
Bbc News
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TruthLens AI Summary
Rafael Grossi, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), has warned that Iran possesses the capability to resume enriching uranium for potential weapons within months. This statement comes in the wake of recent military strikes by the United States and Israel on Iranian nuclear sites, which resulted in significant but not total damage. Grossi emphasized that contrary to former President Donald Trump's assertions that Iran's nuclear facilities were entirely destroyed, the country still has the industrial and technological means to restart its enrichment activities. The IAEA's assessment aligns with earlier Pentagon intelligence reports suggesting that the recent strikes only delayed Iran's nuclear program by a few months. Grossi's comments were made during an interview with CBS News, where he noted that Iran could have operational centrifuges producing enriched uranium within a short timeframe if it chose to do so.
The geopolitical climate remains tense as Iran and Israel have reached a temporary ceasefire, yet the threat of renewed conflict looms. Trump has indicated a willingness to consider further military action against Iran if it appears to be advancing its nuclear capabilities. Meanwhile, Iranian officials have provided mixed messages about the impact of the airstrikes, with Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei downplaying the damage while Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi acknowledged significant harm. Iran's relationship with the IAEA has deteriorated further, with its parliament moving to suspend cooperation, citing perceived bias from the agency. Despite these challenges, Grossi expressed hope for a diplomatic resolution, emphasizing the need for negotiations to address the ongoing tensions surrounding Iran's nuclear ambitions. Under the terms of the 2015 nuclear deal, Iran was restricted from enriching uranium above 3.67% purity, but following the U.S. withdrawal from the agreement in 2018, Iran has progressively breached these limits, amassing enough highly enriched uranium to potentially develop nuclear weapons.
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