U.N. nuclear chief says Iran could enrich uranium in months : NPR

Rafael Mariano Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, arrives for a meeting of the IAEA in Vienna, Austria, June 23.

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The head of the United Nations nuclear surveillance dog says that Iran could start enrich uranium in the months following a American army attack Of three of his facilities earlier in June.

Rafael Mariano Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the United Nations Office which inspects the nuclear programs of countries to ensure compliance with non-proliferation agreements, Make the comments in an interview recorded Friday and broadcast on Sunday by CBS Face the nation.

“They may have, you know, in a few months, I would say that a few centrifugal cascades rotating and producing enriched uranium, or less than that,” he said.

Grossi said he thought that the installations that had been affected by American bombs had suffered serious but not total damage, and added that Iran had other ways to achieve its nuclear objectives.

“Iran had a very ambitious program, and part of it can always be there, and if not, there is also the obvious truth that knowledge is there. Industrial capacity is there. Iran is a very sophisticated country in terms of nuclear technology, as it is obvious,” he said.

President Trump said shortly after strikes that the United States had “completely erased” the three main nuclear installations in Iran, and that other administration officials have echo a similar assessment of the mission’s success.

But a preliminary report of the Defense Intelligence Agency suggested that Iran’s nuclear installations may have only undergone “limited” damage, putting the nuclear program per month.

THURSDAY, Defense secretary Pete Hegseth said This report was a “preliminary and low confidence report which will continue to be refined” and called the American operation “a” historically successful attack “.

Grossi told CBS that Iran could have moved uranium cans enriched before the attack on a secret out of site. THE IAEA previously reported that Iran had a stock of more than 400 kilograms – nearly 900 pounds – highly enriched uranium.

But President Trump reiterated in a Interview broadcast on Fox News Sunday morning, he believes that this was not the case. “First of all, it’s very difficult to do. It’s very dangerous to do. It’s very heavy, very very heavy,” said Trump.

Trump said he thought that attacks also took Iran by surprise – in particular the strike of his underground facilities. “And no one thought we would go after this site, because everyone said:” This site is impenetrable. “”

Grosi said it was important for IAEA and Iran to resume discussions and that international inspectors can continue their work in the country. “We have to return to the table and have a technically solid solution to that,” he said.