Iran could restart uranium enrichment in a matter of months, its top nuclear watchdog warned, despite a recent wave of US and Israeli assaults on Iran’s nuclear facilities. Key facilities were left intact, and Iran could soon spin centrifuges and restart making enriched uranium, which adds to the urgency of the nuclear discussion worldwide.
Rafael Grossi was also concerned that Iran has a stockpile of 60 percent enriched uranium, below weapons grade. He mentioned that the current stockpile could provide enough material for more than nine nuclear bombs if further enriched. These facts are raising red flags on Iran’s capabilities and intentions as tensions in the region increase.
Grossi Flags Critical Gaps in Oversight
The head of the IAEA acknowledged the agency can’t confirm the level of Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile. He added that it is not clear whether Tehran relocated the stockpile ahead of the bombings or destroyed part of it. “There has to be, at some point, a clarification,” Grossi insisted.
He stressed that the IAEA does not now have access to visit nuclear facilities, including the well-guarded Fordow underground facility. Iranian parliamentarians suspended recent cooperation with the agency, increasing worries about transparency.
Israel and US Launched Coordinated Assaults
The Israeli military launched its attack on June 13 against Iran’s military and nuclear facilities. The US followed a few days later, striking three of Iran’s nuclear facilities. President Donald Trump asserted these attacks had delayed Iran’s nuclear program “by decades.”
That assurance is contrary to the statement of Grossi. Some infrastructure is still standing, he said, and Iran could begin production again “within a matter of months,” if not earlier.
Civilian Death Toll Mounts Amid Conflict
Consequences of the attacks have been catastrophic. Iran’s Ministry of Health documented 627 civilian fatalities during the 12-day attack. The Iranian retaliation resulted in the deaths of 28 individuals in Israel, officials there reported.
On Saturday, the judiciary in Iran reported a fatal missile strike against Tehran’s Evin Prison. The attack took 71 lives, including detainees, visitors, and military recruits.
Rising Risk and Shrinking Clarity
With oversight suspended and enriched uranium potentially still intact, global concerns over Iran’s nuclear future are growing. Grossi stressed the need for urgent re-engagement. But Iran’s refusal to grant access, paired with the damage from airstrikes, leaves the world with more questions than answers.
Israel and the US may have intended to halt Iran’s nuclear ambitions. But Grossi’s warning shows the threat could re-emerge—and soon.