IAEA chief spotlights damages occurred in Iranian nuclear sites after US attack

Vienna: The Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, on Monday revealed that extensive destruction is expected to have occurred in Iran’s nuclear sites following the US attacks.

The remarks came after the US President Donald Trump announced that America had bombed three nuclear sites in Iran and warned Tehran of further precision strikes unless it ended its confrontation with Israel. The targetted locations reportedly include the highly fortified Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan nuclear facilities.

Addressing the Board of Governors at an emergency meeting regarding the situation in Iran, the IAEA chief highlighted that craters are visible at the Fordow nuclear site in Iran.

“At this time, no one – including the IAEA – is in a position to have fully assessed the underground damage at Fordow. Given the explosive payload utilised, and the extreme vibration-sensitive nature of centrifuges, very significant damage is expected to have occurred,” Grossi said in a statement.

“At the Esfahan nuclear site, additional buildings were hit, with the US confirming their use of cruise missiles. Affected buildings include some related to the uranium conversion process. Also at this site, entrances to tunnels used for the storage of enriched material appear to have been hit. At the Natanz enrichment site, the Fuel Enrichment Plant was hit, with the US confirming that it used ground-penetrating munitions,” the statement added.

According to Grossi, Iran has informed the IAEA that there was no increase in off-site radiation levels at all three sites, adding that the IAEA is not aware of any further attacks on Iran’s nuclear sites since those on Sunday morning.

Amid a serious conflict, involving three IAEA member states, including US, Iran and Israel, during which Iran’s nuclear sites are coming under attack, Grossi stressed that the weight of this conflict risks collapsing the global nuclear non-proliferation regime.

He expressed hope that there is still a path for diplomacy, asserting that Iran, Israel, and the Middle East need peace.

“We must return to the negotiating table and for that allow IAEA inspectors, the guardians, on our behalf, of the NPT, to go back to Iran’s nuclear sites and account for the stockpiles of uranium, including, most importantly, the 400kg enriched to 60 percent,” said the IAEA chief.

He recalled the past General Conference resolutions that stated armed attacks on nuclear facilities should never take place and could result in radioactive releases with grave consequences within and beyond the boundaries of the State that has been attacked.

Grossi further emphasised that there needs to be a cessation of hostilities for the necessary safety and security conditions to prevail so that Iran can let IAEA teams into the sites to assess the situation.

The UN nuclear watchdog chief called for maximum restraint, stating that military escalation not only threatens lives but also delays taking the diplomatic path.

“To achieve the long-term assurance that Iran does not acquire a nuclear weapon and for the continued effectiveness of the global non-proliferation regime, we must return to negotiations,” he added.

IANS