There has been significant damage to Iran’s nuclear facilities, yet the country could restart uranium enrichment within months, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said.
“The capacities they have are there. They could have, in a matter of months—or even less—a few cascades of centrifuges spinning and producing enriched uranium,” Grossi told CBS News' Face the Nation on Sunday.
“Frankly speaking, one cannot claim that everything has disappeared. There is still something there.”
Asked about the extent of damage from US military actions on nuclear sites, Grossi said it depends on how one defines damage.
“What happened—particularly in Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan, where Iran used to have, and still retains to some extent, capabilities for uranium treatment, conversion, and enrichment—has been significantly destroyed,” he said.
US special envoy Steve Witkoff said on Wednesday there are “signs” that an agreement can be reached with Iran.
“We’re having conversations with the Iranians. There are multiple interlocutors reaching out to us. I think that they’re ready,” he told CNBC.
In his interview with CBS, Grossi clarified that the IAEA is not involved in those negotiations. “Our role is to monitor and verify. We’re not part of the direct talks,” he explained.
On whether Iran’s nuclear activity before the US and Israeli strikes indicated weaponization, Grossi said: “We haven’t seen a program aiming in that direction. But they are not answering very important, pending questions. That’s the truth.”
Last week, Iran’s parliament passed a bill to suspend cooperation with the IAEA. The Guardian Council approved it shortly afterward.
Grossi said that Iran remains a signatory to the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), which overrides domestic law.
“An international treaty takes precedence. You cannot cite internal legislation to avoid your international obligations. Iran has not done so yet, which I see as constructive,” Grossi added.
Israeli agents warned Amir-Hossein Farzadi that his father would be targeted unless political prisoners were released.
“It will happen in a few minutes,” one message read. Amir relayed the threat to his uncle, who then evacuated Farzadi from the prison compound just before the deadly strikes, the report said.
The Tehran Province Prisons Department dismissed the report, saying that Farzadi was inspecting the prison wards at the time of the strike.
Farzadi has led the notorious prison since 2022 and has been sanctioned by the US and EU for human rights abuses.
“Numerous protesters have been sent to Evin Prison… where they have been subjected to torture and other forms of physical abuse,” the US Treasury Department said in April.
Prior to Evin, Farzadi served at prisons in Kermanshah and Tehran where he oversaw amputations, torture, and alleged sexual violence against inmates. He remains on the US Specially Designated Nationals list.
Throughout its 12-day war on Iran, Israel launched strikes on key state organs tasked with domestic surveillance, protest suppression, detention and propaganda, targeting what it called “repression infrastructure.”
The attacks focused on intelligence and security agencies, judicial and detention systems, and officials overseeing internal control.
Israel framed the strikes as a show of solidarity with Iranian protesters and an effort to disrupt the Islamic Republic’s repressive capacity.
