Media: IAEA chief warns Iran could pursue nuclear weapons If Israel strikes

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director-General Rafael Grossi has said Iranian officials told him directly that an Israeli attack could be the tipping point that leads Tehran to abandon its long-standing non-nuclear stance

"A strike could potentially have an amalgamating effect, solidifying Iran’s determination – I will say it plainly – to pursue a nuclear weapon or withdraw from the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons," Grossi said in an exclusive interview with The Jerusalem Post on June 9, Caliber.Az reports.

"I’m telling you this because they have told me so directly,” he added.

His remarks come amid growing concerns over Iran’s advancing nuclear program, which has continued to expand despite limited international oversight and the absence of a renewed nuclear deal.

Asked about possible Israeli military action if diplomatic solutions fail, Grossi said such decisions fall under national prerogatives. However, he cautioned that Iran’s nuclear infrastructure is deeply fortified, making any military operation extremely complex and destructive.

“The program runs wide and deep. And when I say ‘deep,’ I mean it,” Grossi said, referencing heavily protected facilities like the Fordow plant and the new underground complex being constructed at Natanz. Military analysts have noted that Israel lacks the heavy-duty bunker-busting bombs—such as the US 30,000-pound Massive Ordnance Penetrator—needed to effectively destroy such sites.

According to the IAEA’s latest report, Iran has accumulated enough 60 per cent  enriched uranium to produce approximately 10 nuclear weapons, if it were to complete the remaining technical steps needed for weaponisation. Grossi stressed, however, that Iran has not yet developed a usable nuclear weapon.

“To have a functioning nuclear device, you need 90% enrichment,” Grossi explained. “There is a very narrow gap between what they already have and weapons-grade material, but there are numerous activities, technologies, and developments still needed to turn this material into something that can actually function as a weapon.”

Western intelligence sources estimate Iran could need several months to a year to resolve the remaining hurdles involved in creating an operational nuclear bomb.

The IAEA’s ability to monitor Iran’s nuclear activities has diminished significantly since 2021, when Tehran began limiting access to its facilities. In 2022, Iran also expelled several experienced IAEA inspectors, further widening the knowledge gap.

Grossi’s latest report, submitted last week, highlighted “serious concerns” about ongoing nuclear activity in Iran and confirmed that the program has not paused.

By Sabina Mammadli