Head Of IAEA Says Iran Can Resume Uranium Financing In Several Months

JAKARTA - Head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Grossi said Iran could resume uranium enrichment within months, raising doubts about how effectively the United States attacks to destroy Tehran's nuclear program.

US President Donald Trump announced his military succeeded in carrying out attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities in Natanz, Isfahan and Fordow. on June 21.

"The capacity they have is there. They can have, you know, within a matter of months, I would say, some of the centrifuge cascades that rotate and produce enriched uranium, or less than that," Grossi said in an interview with CBS News. , quoted from Reuters June 30.

US officials said their attack destroyed Iran's main nuclear site, although President Trump said on Friday he would consider bombing Iran again if Tehran enriched uranium to an alarming extent.

"Frankly, someone can't claim they have all disappeared and nothing is there," he added, according to a transcript of an interview on "Face the Nation" with Margaret totaling it will air Sunday.

By saying it wanted to eliminate the possibility of Tehran developing nuclear weapons, Israel launched an attack on Iran earlier this month, which sparked a 12-day air war that the US ended up participating in.

Iran says its nuclear program is only for peaceful purposes.

Grossi said attacks on locations in Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan had significantly hampered Iran's ability to change and enrich uranium.

"It's clear that there has been severe damage, but it's not total damage," Grossi explained, as quoted by CNN.

"Iran has the capacity there; industrial capacity and technology. So if they want it, they will be able to start doing this again," he continued.

However, Western countries emphasize Iran's nuclear progress gives it the acquisition of non-returnable knowledge, which suggests that despite the loss of experts or facilities could slow progress, the progress is permanent.

"Iran is a very sophisticated country in terms of nuclear technology," Grossi said.

"So you can't cancel this. You can't overturn the knowledge you have or the capacity you have."

Grossi was also asked about reports of Iran moving its highly enriched uranium stock ahead of the US attack and said it was unclear where the material was.

"So some could have been destroyed as part of the attack, but some could have been moved," Grossi said.