WANA (Nov 07) – Rafael Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, on Thursday called for countries to return to diplomacy with Iran.

 

Grossi claimed that Iran’s nuclear program was damaged following Israeli and U.S. attacks on key enrichment facilities in June, and alleged that Tehran still has enough enriched uranium and technical knowledge for what he called “building a nuclear weapon in the near future.”

 

He said, “Iran will need time to rebuild its industrial and technological base.” The IAEA chief added that experts estimate this process could take a year or longer.

 

He also claimed that Iran’s nuclear material — mostly remaining at the targeted sites — would allow it to “produce several nuclear weapons.”

 

Grossi described the attacks by the U.S. and Israel as a “dramatic shift from diplomacy to the use of force,” calling it a reversal of years of negotiations. He urged a return to dialogue, describing diplomacy as “the only path to a sustainable solution.”

 

He added, “Since the June attacks, we have still not been able to return to the previous process. Iran has passed domestic legislation limiting its cooperation with us.” However, he emphasized that the IAEA is still consulting with Tehran.

 

Grossi also rejected claims that the agency’s report provided a pretext for attacks, saying the report “contained no new information” and had been “politicized without reason.”

 

He dismissed reports about artificial intelligence affecting the agency’s findings, stating, “Our conclusions are made by human inspectors, not machines.”

 

He added that although the IAEA uses AI to process some data, the technology does not play a role in deciding countries’ compliance with nuclear commitments.

WANA - Arak nuclear facility after U.S. strike

Arak nuclear facility after the U.S. strike. Social media/ WANA News Agency