Rafael Grossi: Attacks on Iran’s nuclear facilities were damaging, but Tehran’s technical capabilities remain intact
Rafael Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, said that recent attacks by the US and Israel on the Isfahan, Natanz, and Fordow facilities have caused significant damage, but the Islamic Republic still possesses the scientific and technical ability to rebuild the centrifuges and continue its nuclear program.
According to the Swiss newspaper Le Temps, Grossi on Wednesday, October 21, emphasized in a statement regarding the status of the Islamic Republic’s nuclear sites that although Donald Trump has spoken of the complete destruction of these centers, Tehran’s scientific and technical infrastructure has not been destroyed.
He added that the centrifuges used for uranium enrichment can be rebuilt, and the Islamic Republic still has a considerable amount of nuclear material, including about 400 kilograms of uranium enriched to 60%, a figure slightly below the level needed to produce a nuclear weapon.
The Director General also stated that there is no evidence that Tehran intends to build a bomb.
Inspections need to be resumed to ensure that most of the high-enriched uranium stockpiles continue to be stored in Isfahan, Natanz, and Fordow.
Grossi further noted that after the 12-day war, the Islamic Republic could have withdrawn from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and followed North Korea’s path, but it did not.
This decision is a sign of willingness to engage with the international community, and I commend it.
