Iran may be able to resume uranium enrichment in the near future, according to Rafael Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
Speaking on CBS News’ Face the Nation, Grossi said Iran still has the equipment needed to enrich uranium. “They could get a few cascades of centrifuges running within months—or even sooner,” he said. “It’s not accurate to say everything has been destroyed. Some capacity remains.”
When asked about recent US military strikes on nuclear sites, Grossi said the impact varies by location. “The sites at Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan, where Iran has worked on uranium treatment, conversion and enrichment suffered significant damage,” he explained.
US special envoy Steve Witkoff said he is in talks with Iran and plans to meet soon to discuss a possible agreement. Grossi made it clear that the IAEA is not involved in these negotiations. “We focus on monitoring and verification. We’re not part of the talks,” he said.
When asked if Iran’s nuclear work suggested plans to develop weapons, Grossi said the agency had found no such evidence. “We haven’t seen a weapons programme. But Iran still needs to answer some key questions,” he said.
Last week, Iran’s parliament passed a bill to suspend cooperation with the IAEA. The Guardian Council approved it shortly after. Grossi noted that Iran is still bound by the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), which takes precedence over national laws.
“International treaties come first. A country cannot use domestic law to avoid global obligations,” Grossi said. “So far, Iran hasn’t done that, which I take as a positive sign.”
