International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Rafael Grossi said that US strikes on Iranian nuclear sites would have caused “significant physical damage” but it would be “too much” to say that their nuke program has been “wiped out”.Centrifuges, which are spinning machines used to enrich uranium, require a high-degree of precision and are vulnerable to intense vibrations, the New York Times cited Grossi saying. “There was no escaping significant physical damage,” he said, adding, “So we can come to a fairly accurate technical conclusion.”
He was cited saying that it would be an exaggeration to claim Iran’s nuclear program had been completely “wiped out” by the Israeli and American airstrikes, given US President Donald Trump’s claims that it had been “obliterated”. Grossi pointed out that several nuclear facilities remained untouched and that Iranian authorities had informed him of plans to implement “protective measures” for their existing stockpile of enriched uranium.Moreover, speaking to a French radio station, he said that US strikes “reduced” Iran’s nuclear capacities but “it will be much more difficult for Iran to continue at the same pace as before.”The comments come in as the effectiveness of US strikes came under question with reports claiming that Iran moved uranium stock pile from the nuclear sites ahead of the attack.The US has, however, dismissed such claims with Trump saying, “The cars and small trucks at the site were those of concrete workers trying to cover up the top of the shafts. Nothing was taken out of facility. Would take too long, too dangerous, and very heavy and hard to move!”
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