IAEA Says Iran Can Restart Uranium Enrichment In Months; Natanz Site Shows Repair Activity

Last Updated:June 29, 2025, 19:28 IST

Rafael Grossi, Director General of the Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), made the statement during an interview with CBS News

IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi. (Reuters/File)

The head of the UN’s nuclear watchdog has warned that Iran could begin enriching uranium again “in a matter of months", despite recent damage to its nuclear facilities caused by US and Israeli airstrikes.

Rafael Grossi, Director General of the Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), made the statement during an interview with CBS News’ Face the Nation, released on Saturday.

“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, referring to Iran’s potential to resume operations at key sites.

Grossi revealed that it’s still unclear whether Iran managed to move part of its estimated 408.6 kilograms of uranium enriched to 60% purity before the strikes. This level of enrichment is far above the threshold for civilian use, and, if further refined, would be enough to build more than nine nuclear bombs, experts believe.

“We don’t know where this material could be," Grossi admitted. “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."

Israel launched its strikes on Iranian military and nuclear targets on 13 June, with the US following up by bombing three facilities linked to Iran’s atomic programme.

Iran has since cut cooperation with the IAEA, with its lawmakers voting to suspend agency access to certain sites. Tehran has also rejected Grossi’s request to visit the Fordo facility, its main enrichment site, following the attacks.

Satellite imagery shows recovery activity

Meanwhile, the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), a US-based think tank, on Sunday released satellite images that appear to support Iran’s ability to restart nuclear operations.

In a social media post on Sunday, ISW said imagery taken on June 27 shows a filled-in crater at one of the US-bombed sites and the presence of tents and a truck, suggesting repair or recovery activity.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has called the damage as “serious," although specific details have not been made public. US President Donald Trump claimed the attacks had set back Iran’s nuclear programme by “decades."

However, Grossi remained cautious. “Some is still standing," he said, suggesting that Iran’s nuclear capabilities may not be as severely impacted as believed.

(With inputs from AFP)

Washington D.C., United States of America (USA)

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