Iran could resume uranium enrichment within months despite U.S. and Israeli strikes on its nuclear facilities, the head of the UN nuclear watchdog has said.
Rafael Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), told CBS News that Iran retains the capacity to enrich uranium quickly, casting doubt on the effectiveness of recent U.S. attacks on its nuclear programme.
"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 said in an interview with "Face the Nation" due to air on Sunday.
U.S. officials claim their strikes destroyed key nuclear sites in Iran, including facilities in Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan, after Israel launched attacks earlier this month aiming to eliminate Tehran's nuclear capabilities. The strikes sparked a 12-day air conflict, which the U.S. eventually joined.
President Donald Trump warned on Friday that he would consider bombing Iran again if it resumes uranium enrichment to threatening levels.
Grossi cautioned that while the attacks had significantly set back Iran’s nuclear operations, they had not erased its knowledge or capability.
"Frankly speaking, one cannot claim that everything has disappeared and there is nothing there," he said. "Iran is a very sophisticated country in terms of nuclear technology. You cannot disinvent this. You cannot undo the knowledge that you have or the capacities that you have."
Iran maintains that its nuclear programme is for peaceful purposes only.
Western powers have long argued that Iran’s technical advances provide it with irreversible knowledge gains, meaning the loss of facilities or personnel can slow but not eliminate its nuclear potential.
Grossi also addressed reports suggesting Iran moved its stock of highly enriched uranium before the U.S. strikes.
"It was not clear where that material was. Some could have been destroyed as part of the attack, but some could have been moved," he said.
The IAEA continues to monitor Iran's nuclear activities amid heightened regional tensions and uncertainty over whether Tehran will seek to rebuild its enrichment facilities swiftly or wait for diplomatic opportunities.
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Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has accused the U.S. and Israel of seeking to foment internal divisions in Iran after failing to defeat the cou...
The war between Iran and the U.S. is creating a widening security challenge for Saudi Arabia, stretching from Yemen’s Red Sea coast to Iraq a...
The European Union's decision to simultaneously advance accession talks with Ukraine, Moldova, Montenegro and Albania marks its most ambitious enlargement effort in more than two decades.
U.S. President Donald Trump has denied reports that he offered Iran sanctions relief and access to frozen funds in exchange for nuclear concessions.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has accused the U.S. and Israel of seeking to foment internal divisions in Iran after failing to defeat the country militarily, Iran's state news agency IRNA reported.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Monday that more than 8,000 North Korean troops are currently in Russia, with preparations under way to send another 10,000.
Russian strikes hit Kyiv and Ukraine’s Black Sea region of Odesa overnight into Tuesday, damaging infrastructure and civilian sites, while Moscow said it had also targeted vessels carrying military cargo.
The war between Iran and the U.S. is creating a widening security challenge for Saudi Arabia, stretching from Yemen’s Red Sea coast to Iraq as the Houthis emerge as a growing source of pressure on the kingdom.
North Korea has dismissed as a “farce” Seoul’s claim that Pyongyang was responsible for a landmine explosion south of the Military Demarcation Line that injured three South Korean soldiers.
Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have renewed high-level contact as a Houthi offensive in Yemen increases pressure on Riyadh and raises concerns over security around a crucial Red Sea shipping route.
The Spanish government has unveiled plans to extend protections against evictions until the end of 2030 as it seeks to address growing concerns over housing affordability and tenant security.
Here's your AnewZ Daily Brief for 30 September 2026. These are the top five stories making headlines in Europe.
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