Washington — The pinnacle of the United Nations nuclear watchdog company stated Thursday that “quite a bit has survived” of Iran’s nuclear capabilities and navy operations alone can’t destroy them.
In an interview with “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan,” Rafael Grossi, director common of the Worldwide Atomic Power Company, stated there had already been harm carried out to Iran’s nuclear websites, and stated final 12 months’s strikes on three nuclear services have been “fairly efficient.”
“There was a whole lot of impression on this system. One can’t deny that this has actually rolled again this system significantly, though, you already know, I am very skeptical about these metrics, days, minutes, months, as a result of every thing is relative,” Grossi stated. “However my impression is that when the navy effort involves an finish, we are going to nonetheless inherit plenty of main points which have been on the middle of all of this.”
Grossi stated a kind of points is Iran’s stock of uranium at 60% enrichment, in addition to services, infrastructure and tools, which may very well be broken.
Iran had quickly elevated its stockpile of extremely enriched uranium in recent times. As of mid-June 2025, earlier than U.S. strikes on nuclear services, Iran had enriched roughly 972 kilos, or greater than 440 kilograms, of uranium as much as 60% purity, in keeping with estimates from the IAEA.
President Trump has stated an goal of the continued warfare with Iran is to forestall the nation from growing a nuclear weapon. Whereas the Protection Division has ready a number of choices for the president concerning subsequent steps within the battle, Mr. Trump has not made up his thoughts on whether or not he would ship U.S. forces into Iran and seize its nuclear materials.
However Grossi stated eradicating cylinders with the fabric could be tough.
“I am not saying it is not possible. I do know that right here there are unbelievable navy capacities to do this, however it could be very difficult operation for certain,” he stated.
Grossi stated the IAEA didn’t see “main exercise” by Iran to rebuild its enrichment capability earlier than the U.S. and Israeli began its strikes, however stated “quite a bit has nonetheless survived.”
“They’ve the capabilities, they’ve the information, they’ve the economic means to do this,” he stated.
Grossi stated the in depth program underscores the necessity for diplomacy to cope with Iran’s nuclear program after fight operations.
“It will be wanted,” he stated of talks.
Within the weeks and hours main as much as the second spherical of U.S. strikes in 9 months, particular envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, Mr. Trump’s son-in-law, have been engaged in oblique talks with Iranian negotiators over a possible nuclear deal within the days earlier than Operation Epic Fury. U.S. and Israeli strikes almost three weeks in the past, which resulted within the dying of Iranian Supreme Chief Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Protection Secretary Pete Hegseth stated earlier Thursday that the U.S. has struck greater than 7,000 targets throughout Iran as a part of Operation Epic Fury, and previewed that the day would carry the “largest strike bundle but, identical to yesterday was.”
Mr. Trump has stated that one of many targets of the continued operation is to maintain Iran from growing a nuclear weapon, although he has additionally touted strikes final 12 months on three Iranian nuclear services that he stated “obliterated” the websites.
Director of Nationwide Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, in the meantime, advised the Senate on Wednesday that the intelligence group assessed that Iran’s nuclear program was “obliterated” final 12 months within the strikes dubbed Operation Midnight Hammer. In written testimony to senators, Gabbard stated “there was no efforts since then to attempt to rebuild their enrichment functionality. The entrances to the underground services that have been bombed have been buried and shuttered with cement.”
