Rafael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said on Monday that Iran’s nuclear facilities had probably suffered widespread damage in recent United States military attacks, with visible craters reported at one of the sites.
The remarks were made at an extraordinary meeting of the IAEA Board of Governors, convened following US President Donald Trump’s announcement that American forces had struck three major nuclear facilities in Iran—Fordow, Natanz and Esfahan—and warned Tehran of further precision strikes if it did not cease its aggression against Israel.
Grossi reported that, while the IAEA has yet to have the opportunity to fully assess the extent of the damage, early indications from satellite imagery and limited reports suggest the strikes caused significant destruction. “As of now, nobody—not even the IAEA—is in a position to fully estimate the underground damage at Fordow. Given the explosive payload used, and the highly vibration-sensitive nature of centrifuges, very substantial damage must have occurred,” he said.
He further stated that a number of other buildings were hit at the Esfahan nuclear facility. “The US has confirmed the use of cruise missiles at Esfahan. The structures hit include those involved in uranium conversion processes. Entrances to tunnels used for storing enriched material also appear to have been targeted,” Grossi added.
At the Natanz enrichment site, Grossi explained that the Fuel Enrichment Plant was struck using ground-penetrating munitions. Iran has since informed the agency that no increase in off-site radiation levels has been detected at any of the three locations.
Despite the scale of the operation, Grossi noted that there had been no further reported strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities since the attacks early on Sunday.
The IAEA Director General warned that the ongoing conflict between Iran, Israel, and the United States—each a member of the IAEA—could seriously undermine the global nuclear non-proliferation framework. “The burden of this conflict has the potential to collapse the international nuclear non-proliferation regime,” he cautioned.
Grossi called for a return to diplomacy and stressed the importance of allowing IAEA inspectors access to Iranian nuclear facilities to verify the condition of nuclear materials, especially the 400-kilogram stockpile of uranium enriched to 60 percent purity. “We need to return to the negotiating table and, to that end, allow IAEA inspectors—the custodians, on our behalf, of the NPT—to go back into Iran’s nuclear sites,” he said.
He recalled previous General Conference resolutions which asserted that armed attacks on nuclear facilities must never occur, as such actions could result in radioactive contamination with grave consequences both within and beyond the borders of the affected state.
Calling for maximum restraint and a cessation of hostilities, Grossi underlined the need to re-establish the necessary safety and security conditions to enable IAEA teams to safely access the sites. “Military escalation not only endangers lives but also delays the path of diplomacy,” he said.
“To ensure lasting confidence that Iran does not acquire a nuclear weapon, and to safeguard the effectiveness of the global non-proliferation regime, we must return to negotiations,” Grossi concluded.
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