Truce and threats, what's next in the Israel-Iran conflict?
From nuclear talks to a Gaza ceasefire, our expert panel examines the rocky road ahead
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Khaleej Times
2 hours ago
- Khaleej Times
Iran could again enrich uranium 'in matter of months': IAEA chief
UN nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi says Iran likely will be able to begin to produce enriched uranium "in a matter of months," despite damage to several nuclear facilities from US and Israeli attacks, CBS News said Saturday. Israel launched a bombing campaign on Iranian nuclear and military sites on June 13, saying it was aimed at keeping Iran from developing a nuclear weapon — an ambition the Islamic republic has consistently denied. The US subsequently bombed three key facilities used for Tehran's atomic programme. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi says the extent of the damage to the nuclear sites is "serious," but the details are unknown. US President Donald Trump insisted Iran's nuclear programme had been set back "decades." But Grossi, the director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, said "some is still standing." "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 said Friday, according to a transcript of the interview released Saturday. Another key question is whether Iran was able to relocate some or all of its estimated 408.6-kg (900-pound) stockpile of highly enriched uranium before the attacks. The uranium in question is enriched to 60 per cent — above levels for civilian usage but still below weapons grade. That material, if further refined, would theoretically be sufficient to produce more than nine nuclear bombs. Grossi admitted to CBS: "We don't know where this material could be." "So some could have been destroyed as part of the attack, but some could have been moved. So there has to be at some point a clarification," he said in the interview. For now, Iranian lawmakers voted to suspend cooperation with the IAEA and Tehran rejected Grossi's request for a visit to the damaged sites, especially Fordow, the main uranium enrichment facility. "We need to be in a position to ascertain, to confirm what is there, and where is it and what happened," Grossi said. In a separate interview with Fox News's "Sunday Morning Futures" program, Trump said he did not think the stockpile had been moved. "It's a very hard thing to do plus we didn't give much notice," he said, according to excerpts of the interview. "They didn't move anything." US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Saturday underscored Washington's support for "the IAEA's critical verification and monitoring efforts in Iran," commending Grossi and his agency for their "dedication and professionalism." The full Grossi interview will air on "Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan" on June 29.
Khaleej Times
3 hours ago
- Khaleej Times
US Secretary Marco Rubio condemns calls in Iran for arrest, execution of IAEA chief
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has called on Iran to uphold its responsibility to protect staff from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), following alarming threats against the agency's leadership. In a statement posted on X, Rubio condemned calls reportedly circulating in Iran for the arrest and execution of IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi. "Calls in Iran for the arrest and execution of IAEA Director General Grossi are unacceptable and should be condemned," he wrote. Rubio reaffirmed Washington's support of the IAEA's oversight role in Iran's nuclear activities, praising Grossi and the agency for their "dedication and professionalism". "We continue to support the IAEA's vital monitoring mission in Iran and urge Iranian authorities to guarantee the safety of all IAEA personnel," he added. Check out his full statement below: Calls in Iran for the arrest and execution of IAEA Director General Grossi are unacceptable and should be condemned. — Secretary Marco Rubio (@SecRubio) June 28, 2025 The remarks came days after Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei made his first public statement since the ceasefire, declaring that Iran had "slapped America in the face" with its missile strike on a key US military base in Qatar. The attack was described as a direct response to earlier US strikes on Iranian nuclear sites in Fordow, Isfahan, and Natanz.
Khaleej Times
15 hours ago
- Khaleej Times
UAE diplomat calls on Iran to rebuild 'damaged trust' with Gulf countries
UAE diplomat Anwar Gargash today said that Iran must rebuild trust with other Gulf countries and that the nation's decision affects them all, days after Tehran sent missiles to the Al Udeid military base in Qatar. In a comment on X, he said that the nations in the region had taken a stance against the Israeli war on Iran, "working through all international platforms to de-escalate the situation and calling for a resolution of outstanding issues—chief among them the nuclear file—through political means." Despite this, he added that Iran "targeted the sovereignty of the brotherly State of Qatar, an act that affects us all." He said, "The Gulf states took a strong and impactful stance against the Israeli war on Iran, Today, as we turn the page on the war, Tehran remains required to rebuild trust with its Gulf neighbors, having damaged it through this aggression." Iran launched a retaliatory strike aimed at the United States' Al Udeid military base in Qatar, the largest US military facility in the Middle East. Qatar said it had successfully intercepted the attack, which it called a "flagrant violation" of sovereignty and said it reserved the right to respond. No casualties were reported at the base, a US official said. US President Donald Trump dismissed the attack as "very weak." He said Iran gave "early notice" of the strike, thanking the Islamic republic for the move that "made it possible for no lives to be lost, nobody to be injured." "Perhaps Iran can now proceed to Peace and Harmony in the Region, and I will enthusiastically encourage Israel to do the same," he wrote on his Truth Social platform.
