UN Nuclear Chief Says Iran Could Restart Uranium Enrichment Within Months Despite US Strikes

IAEA Chief Refutes Trump’s Claim of Total Nuclear Program Destruction

UN nuclear watchdog Director General Rafael Grossi has stated that Iran retains its industrial capacity to enrich uranium and could resume its nuclear activities within months. His remarks directly challenge former President Donald Trump’s assertion that recent US strikes had “obliterated” Iran’s program.

In an interview with CBS’s Face the Nation, Grossi emphasized that Iran could restart uranium enrichment quickly if it chooses. “They can have, in a matter of months, a few cascades of centrifuges spinning and producing enriched uranium,” he said.

Pentagon and Intelligence Reports Align with Grossi

Grossi’s assessment aligns with a Defense Intelligence Agency evaluation, first reported by CNN, which indicated that the US strikes last week did not destroy Iran’s core nuclear facilities.

Intercepted communications obtained by The Washington Post also revealed that senior Iranian officials described the damage as “less than anticipated,” with some enriched uranium possibly moved ahead of time.

Iran Claims Peaceful Intentions but Limits Cooperation

Iran maintains that its nuclear program is peaceful. During the same week, Iranian ambassador Amir-Saeid Iravani told CBS that enrichment “will never stop” as it is a “sovereign right.”

However, Iran has recently passed a bill in parliament to halt cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and is reportedly considering leaving the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) — a global pact that bans member states from developing nuclear weapons.

Unanswered Questions Over Undeclared Sites

Grossi added that Iran had failed to clarify the presence of enriched uranium at several undeclared sites. “We were simply not getting credible answers,” he said.

Despite these developments, a US official pushed back on Grossi’s statements, pointing to previous remarks where Grossi noted a “very serious level of damage.” The official also highlighted Iran’s lack of air defenses as a limiting factor in rebuilding.

Outlook on Iran’s Nuclear Intentions

While Tehran denies ambitions for weaponization, Grossi stressed the importance of full international oversight. “What I was concerned about is that there were other things that were not clear,” he said, referring to uninspected nuclear traces at unknown locations.

The debate around the true impact of the US strikes and the future of Iran’s nuclear capabilities continues to intensify.