Iran retains the technical know-how and infrastructure to resume uranium enrichment within months, despite the recent US and Israeli airstrikes on its nuclear facilities, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Grossi has warned.
In an interview with CBS News published Sunday, Grossi acknowledged that key Iranian nuclear sites, including those at Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan, suffered “very serious” damage in the strikes, but noted that many critical capabilities remain intact.
“Iran’s technical infrastructure is still there. Within a few months—or even sooner—they could restart a few cascades of centrifuges and begin enriching uranium again,” Grossi stated. He added that Tehran may not yet have a full assessment of the destruction, but insisted the country’s advanced nuclear expertise cannot simply be erased.
“You cannot disinvent technical capacity. Iran is highly sophisticated in this field. The knowledge is there. You can’t just undo it,” he said.
Grossi also emphasized that a lasting solution to concerns about Iran’s nuclear ambitions cannot be achieved through military action. “This should motivate all parties to realize that the issue won’t be resolved through force alone. A diplomatic agreement is ultimately necessary,” he said, expressing hope that IAEA inspectors would soon regain access to Iran’s nuclear facilities.
Tehran recently barred inspectors from entering its sites, accusing the IAEA of issuing misleading reports used to justify Western strikes. Grossi rejected that claim, saying: “Who truly believes that this conflict started because of an IAEA report? And for the record, the contents of that report weren’t even new.”
The remarks come in the aftermath of a 12-day conflict between Israel and Iran, during which both Israeli and US forces carried out coordinated airstrikes on Iranian nuclear infrastructure.
President Donald Trump claimed that the strikes “completely obliterated” Iran’s nuclear capabilities and warned that further action would follow if Tehran continues any weapons-related activities. However, various US media outlets and defense officials have indicated that the actual damage was limited and that Iran could recover its enrichment operations in a relatively short time.
Iran continues to deny that it seeks to develop nuclear weapons and maintains that its nuclear program is for peaceful, civilian purposes only.
