The head of the United Nations nuclear watchdog offered Friday to travel to Iran to assess the damage caused by Israeli airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, warning of potentially grave consequences and calling for restraint from all parties involved, Breitbart reported.
Rafael Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, said he is willing to visit Iran following Israeli military action against multiple nuclear facilities. The offer came during a tense IAEA Board of Governors meeting in Vienna, where Iran's nuclear activities were the central focus.
On Thursday, the IAEA board passed a resolution declaring that Iran is in violation of its nuclear non-proliferation obligations for the first time since 2006. Within hours of the vote, Israel began targeting Iran's nuclear infrastructure.
"I call on all parties to exercise maximum restraint to avoid further escalation. I reiterate that any military action that jeopardizes the safety and security of nuclear facilities risks grave consequences for the people of Iran, the region, and beyond," Grossi told the board on Friday.
"Despite the current military actions and heightened tensions, it is clear that the only sustainable path forward — for Iran, for Israel, the entire region, and the international community — is one grounded in dialogue and diplomacy to ensure peace, stability, and cooperation," he added.
Grossi reportedly spoke with Israeli President Isaac Herzog about damage at Natanz, one of Iran's main enrichment sites. "This development is deeply concerning. I have repeatedly stated that nuclear facilities must never be attacked, regardless of the context or circumstances, as it could harm both people and the environment," he said. "Such attacks have serious implications for nuclear safety, security, and safeguards, as well as regional and international peace and security."
At the time of his remarks, only the Natanz facility had been confirmed as struck. Grossi said the IAEA had detected no elevated radiation levels at the site.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed Natanz was among the targets of Thursday's operation. "Iran has produced enough highly enriched uranium for nine atom bombs — nine," he said. "In recent months, Iran is taking steps that it has never taken before, steps to weaponize this enriched uranium. And if not stopped, Iran could produce a nuclear weapon in a very short time."
"We struck at the heart of Iran's nuclear enrichment program. We struck at the heart of Iran's nuclear weaponization program. We targeted Iran's main enrichment facility in Natanz. We targeted Iran's leading nuclear scientists working on the Iranian bomb," Netanyahu said.
Israeli forces also struck two other major Iranian nuclear sites. Witnesses reported explosions near the Fordow facility in northern Iran, and Israeli forces claimed to have hit a third site near Isfahan.
The Israel Defense Forces released no further details on the Isfahan strike other than it was "significantly damaged."
The U.N. Security Council scheduled an emergency meeting Friday afternoon at Iran's request, listing Grossi as one of the officials scheduled to brief members. IAEA sources said a special board meeting could occur as soon as Monday, though no official announcement had been made.
Jim Thomas ✉
Jim Thomas is a writer based in Indiana. He holds a bachelor's degree in Political Science, a law degree from U.I.C. Law School, and has practiced law for more than 20 years.
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