Comments from the head of the UN International Atomic Energy Agency Rafael Grossi have been reported raising doubts about the effectiveness of the US strikes against Iran's nuclear programme. Photo: United Nations IAEA - D Calma
- IAEA head Grossi says strikes were significant setback for Iran
- 'One cannot claim that everything has disappeared': Grossi
- Iran sophisticated in nuclear tech, 'cannot disinvent this': Grossi
Iran could be producing enriched uranium in a few months, the head of the UN nuclear watchdog Rafael Grossi has been quoted as saying, raising doubts about how effective US strikes to destroy Tehran's nuclear programme have been.
US officials have stated that their strikes obliterated key nuclear sites in Iran, although US President Donald Trump said on Friday (US time) he would consider bombing Iran again if Tehran is enriching uranium to worrisome levels.
"The capacities they have are there. 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 told CBS News in an interview.
"Frankly speaking, one cannot claim that everything has disappeared and there is nothing there," he added, according to the transcript of an interview on Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan due to air on Sunday US time.
Saying it wanted to remove any chance of Tehran developing nuclear weapons, Israel launched attacks on Iran earlier this month, igniting a 12-day air war that the US eventually joined.
Iran says its nuclear programme is for peaceful purposes only.
Damage to the Isfahan nuclear enrichment facility in central Iran after US strikes. Photo: AFP / Satellite Image Maxar Technologies
Grossi, who heads the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency, said the strikes on sites in Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan had significantly set back Iran's ability to convert and enrich uranium.
However, Western powers stress that Iran's nuclear advances provide it with an irreversible knowledge gain, suggesting that while losing experts or facilities may slow progress, the advances are permanent.
"Iran is a very sophisticated country in terms of nuclear technology," Grossi said. "So you cannot disinvent this. You cannot undo the knowledge that you have or the capacities that you have."
Grossi was also asked about reports of Iran moving its stock of highly enriched uranium in the run-up to the US strikes and said it was not clear where that material was.
"So some could have been destroyed as part of the attack, but some could have been moved," he said.
- Reuters
