The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has stated that it has found no signs indicating that Iran’s nuclear facilities have been damaged in recent attacks reportedly carried out by Israeli and U.S. forces. This announcement was made by IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi during a session of the agency’s Board of Governors held on Monday in Vienna. The statement came just moments before Iran’s representative to the IAEA claimed that one of the country’s nuclear sites had been targeted the previous day.
The backdrop to these developments is the heightened tension surrounding Iran’s nuclear program, which Israel and the United States have frequently criticized. Both countries have accused Tehran of advancing its nuclear capabilities to a point where it could potentially develop atomic weapons, a claim Iran consistently denies, insisting its nuclear activities are for peaceful purposes. The recent military strikes are part of a broader campaign aimed at curbing Iran’s nuclear ambitions.
Despite the attacks that took place in June, which severely affected some of Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, the remaining facilities appear to have largely escaped damage in the latest round of strikes. Grossi emphasized that the IAEA has not detected any harm to the nuclear installations under its monitoring. However, he also highlighted a significant challenge: the agency has been unable to establish communication with Iranian nuclear authorities since the June attacks, limiting its ability to verify the current status of the sites on the ground.
“We have no indication that any of the nuclear installations have been damaged or hit,” Grossi told the Board of Governors, which comprises representatives from 35 member states. He added that efforts to re-establish contact with Iran’s nuclear regulatory bodies are ongoing but, so far, have not been successful. The lack of access to the facilities and direct communication with Iranian officials hampers the IAEA’s capacity to conduct thorough inspections and assessments, raising concerns about transparency and oversight.
Shortly after Grossi’s remarks, Iran’s ambassador to the IAEA, Reza Najafi, spoke to journalists outside the closed-door meeting, asserting that the Natanz nuclear complex had been attacked once again. Natanz is a key site in Iran’s nuclear program, housing uranium-enrichment plants that were previously targeted in June. At that time, an above-ground enrichment facility was reportedly destroyed, while an underground plant sustained significant damage. Najafi condemned the recent strike as an assault on Iran’s peaceful and safeguarded nuclear infrastructure.
When pressed for details about which specific facilities were affected, Najafi identified Natanz as the target and declined to provide further information before leaving. The conflicting accounts between the IAEA and Iran underscore the ongoing tensions and mistrust surrounding Iran’s nuclear activities and the international community’s efforts to monitor them. The situation remains fluid, with diplomatic and security implications that continue to draw global attention.
