Iran could be enriching uranium within months. IAEA chief says
Comments from the head of the UN International Atomic Energy Agency Rafael Grossi have been reported raising doubts about the effectiveness of the US strikes against Iran's nuclear programme.
Photo:
United Nations IAEA - D Calma
Iran could be producing enriched uranium in a few months, the head of the UN nuclear watchdog Rafael Grossi has been quoted as saying, raising doubts about how effective US strikes to destroy Tehran's nuclear programme have been.
US officials have stated that their strikes obliterated key nuclear sites in Iran, although US President Donald Trump said on Friday (US time) he would
consider bombing Iran again
if Tehran is enriching uranium to worrisome levels.
"The capacities they have are there. They can have, you know, in a matter of months, I would say, a few cascades of centrifuges spinning and producing enriched uranium, or less than that," Grossi told CBS News in an interview.
"Frankly speaking, one cannot claim that everything has disappeared and there is nothing there," he added, according to the transcript of an interview on
Face the Nation
with Margaret Brennan due to air on Sunday US time.
Saying it wanted to remove any chance of Tehran developing nuclear weapons, Israel launched attacks on Iran earlier this month, igniting a 12-day air war that the US eventually joined.
Iran says its nuclear programme is for peaceful purposes only.
Damage to the Isfahan nuclear enrichment facility in central Iran after US strikes.
Photo:
AFP / Satellite Image Maxar Technologies
Grossi, who heads the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency, said the strikes on sites in Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan had significantly set back Iran's ability to convert and enrich uranium.
However, Western powers stress that Iran's nuclear advances provide it with an irreversible knowledge gain, suggesting that while losing experts or facilities may slow progress, the advances are permanent.
"Iran is a very sophisticated country in terms of nuclear technology," Grossi said. "So you cannot disinvent this. You cannot undo the knowledge that you have or the capacities that you have."
Grossi was also asked about reports of Iran moving its stock of highly enriched uranium in the run-up to the US strikes and said it was not clear where that material was.
"So some could have been destroyed as part of the attack, but some could have been moved," he said.
- Reuters
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scoop
3 hours ago
- Scoop
New UN Report Charts Path Out Of Debt Crisis Threatening Global Development
On Friday, Deputy Secretary-General Amina Mohammed launched a new report, Confronting the Debt Crisis: 11 Actions to Unlock Sustainable Financing. She was joined by experts Mahmoud Mohieldin and Paolo Gentiloni, along with Rebeca Grynspan, Head of the UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD). A growing crisis 'Borrowing is critical for development,' Ms. Mohammed said, but today, 'borrowing is not working for many developing countries, over two-thirds of our low income countries are either in debt distress or at a high risk of it.' The crisis is accelerating, Ms. Grynspan warned. More than 3.4 billion people now live in countries that spend more on interest payments than on health or education – 100 million more than last year. Debt service payments by developing countries have soared by $74 billion in a single year, from $847 billion to $921 billion. 'The nature of this crisis is mostly connected to the increase of debt servicing costs,' Mr. Gentiloni explained. 'Practically, the debt services costs doubled in the last ten years.' Prepared by the UN Secretary-General's Expert Group on Debt, the report reinforces the commitments put forward in the Compromiso de Sevilla, the outcome document of the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development – taking place next week. A path forward The report outlines 11 actions that are both technically feasible and politically viable. Mr. Mohieldin explained that the recommendations fall under two key goals: providing meaningful debt relief and preventing future crises. It identifies three levels of action: At the multilateral level: repurpose and replenish funds to inject liquidity into the system, with targeted support for low-income countries. At the international level: establish a platform for borrowers and creditors to engage directly. At the national level: strengthen institutional capacity, improve policy coordination, manage interest rates, and bolster risk management. 'These are eleven proposals that are doable and that only need the political will of all the actors to be able to make them real,' Ms. Grynspan stressed.
Scoop
3 hours ago
- Scoop
Sudan: ‘Fighting Shows No Signs Of Abating,' Senior UN Official Tells Security Council
On Friday, the UN Security Council heard sobering briefings from Martha Ama Akyaa Pobee, UN Assistant Secretary-General for Africa, and Shayna Lewis, Sudan Specialist and Senior Advisor with Preventing and Ending Mass Atrocities (PAEMA), a US-based organization. Ms. Pobee stressed that front lines continue to shift as the RSF and SAF press on with their military objectives, warning, 'the warring parties appear unrelenting in their resolve to pursue military objectives.' She noted the growing use of advanced weaponry, including long-range drones, which have expanded the violence into previously stable areas. Ms. Pobee further warned of the conflict spilling further into the region, citing recent reports of violent clashes in the tri-border area between Sudan, Libya and Egypt, involving the SAF, RSF and forces affiliated with the Libyan National Army. Human rights violations Ms. Pobee also referenced UN human rights reports documenting a tripling of arbitrary civilian killings between February and April this year. 'Entrenched impunity is fuelling these and other gross human rights violations and abuses. All parties to the conflict must be held accountable,' she stressed. Ms. Lewis's briefing focused on the worsening humanitarian situation, highlighting the over 15 million children now in need of assistance due to ongoing attacks on civilians. Returning from a recent visit to Sudan, she shared accounts of severely injured children in hospitals and stressed that up to 80 per cent of health facilities in conflict areas are no longer functioning. She also cited examples of indiscriminate attacks on hospitals by both the SAF and RSF, including a suspected SAF drone strike on 21 June that hit a hospital in West Kordofan, killing over 40 people and destroying critical lifesaving equipment. Both Ms. Lewis and Ms. Pobee raised alarm over the warring parties' widespread use of sexual and gender-based violence against women and girls across Sudan. Government of Hope Despite the ongoing violence and human rights abuses, Ms. Pobee underscored the significance of the new 'Government of Hope.' On 31 May, a new interim Prime Minister was inaugurated, announcing reform plans and immediately appointing a cabinet of professional technocrats. Ms. Pobee also acknowledged the efforts of the Personal Envoy of the UN Secretary-General for Sudan, Ramtane Lamamra, who has been engaging with the Prime Minister, civilian groups and the warring parties. Through this crucial communication, the Personal Envoy is helping these stakeholders work toward an inclusive political resolution. 'I urge this Council – once again – to unite in lending full support to Personal Envoy Lamamra's efforts, and to use its influence with the parties and their external backers to press for a genuine commitment to dialogue and de-escalation,' Ms. Pobee said. Ambassadors also heard a briefing from the Chair of the Sudan Sanctions Committee, established by the Council pursuant to Resolution 1591 (2005), on the work of the Committee. Following the open briefing, the Council held closed consultations during which Personal Envoy Lamamra also briefed members.
Scoop
3 hours ago
- Scoop
Myanmar Human Rights Crisis Deepens As Aid Collapses, Attacks Intensify
In a stark briefing to the Human Rights Council in Geneva, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk described a country gripped by war, repression and deepening suffering. Since the military coup in February 2021, nearly 6,800 civilians have been killed and over 22,000 remain arbitrarily detained, he said. Humanitarian needs have soared, with nearly 22 million people in need of assistance and more than 3.5 million displaced by conflict. 'The report I am presenting today is about the people of Myanmar and their aspirations for a better future,' Mr. Türk said. ' Despite massive challenges, people from across society are striving to build a peaceful, sustainable, democratic and diverse Myanmar, grounded in human rights. ' A crisis worsened However, conditions on the ground have only worsened. Following a 28 March earthquake that killed nearly 4,000 people and left six million in urgent need, the military intensified attacks instead of facilitating relief, Mr. Türk said. The UN human rights office, OHCHR, documented more than 600 military strikes since the quake – 94 per cent of them occurring during supposed ceasefires – with schools, religious sites and other protected locations frequently targeted. Situation in Rakhine The situation in Rakhine state remains particularly dire, with civilians – the minority Muslim Rohingya in particular – caught between the Myanmar military and the Arakan Army, an ethnic armed group. In addition, the military's ongoing obstruction of humanitarian access has worsened an already acute crisis. Throughout the country, economic collapse and the breakdown of public institutions have compounded the suffering. Nearly four in five people now live below or just above the poverty line and an estimated 1.3 million have fled the country – many undertaking perilous journeys by land and sea. So far in 2025, nearly one in five people attempting sea crossings in the region have been reported dead or missing. End violence, ensure accountability The High Commissioner's report outlined four key pathways to lay the groundwork for a transition toward a peaceful and democratic Myanmar: justice and accountability, democratic governance; economic reform to serve the people, and sustained international engagement. Mr. Türk stressed that accountability must begin with the release of all political prisoners and prosecution of those responsible for grave human rights violations. 'It is imperative for the military to immediately end the violence, allow unhindered humanitarian access and release all arbitrarily detained people,' he said. ' Amid the turmoil, planning for a future with human rights front and centre offers people a sense of hope. We owe it to the people of Myanmar to make that hope a reality. ' Independent expert's alarm Tom Andrews, the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation in Myanmar, echoed the High Commissioner's warnings, raising alarm over a collapse in international humanitarian support and the military's repression. 'The junta has chosen to use aid as a weapon,' he told the Council. 'I have spoken with humanitarian workers physically blocked at checkpoints and received reports of earthquake survivors evicted from shelters with no place to go.' Mr. Andrews, who has been appointed and mandated by the Human Rights Council and is not a UN staff member – also warned that drastic cuts in international funding have already had severe consequences. As of 27 June, the $1.14 billion comprehensive humanitarian response plan for the country is only 12 percent funded and the $275 million addendum for the earthquake response is about 37 per cent. At a time when the people of Myanmar need an enhanced level of support from the international community, they are getting the opposite, Mr. Andrews said, warning that the cost in human lives and human suffering will soon very likely get 'significantly worse.' ' This dangerous trend begs the question – do human rights matter? ' he asked. ' Because if human rights matter, if saving the lives of children in Myanmar matters, why are so many governments reluctant to invest even a modest amount of resources to save lives? '
