IAEA chief expects 'very significant damage' at Iran's Fordow site
VIENNA: United States bombing probably caused "very significant" damage to the underground areas of Iran's Fordow uranium enrichment plant dug into a mountain, though no one can yet tell the extent, United Nations nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi said on Monday (Jun 23).
The US dropped the biggest conventional bombs in its arsenal on Iranian nuclear facilities on Sunday, using those bunker-busting munitions in combat for the first time to try and eliminate sites, including the Fordow uranium-enrichment plant dug into a mountain.
"At this time, no one, including the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) is in a position to have fully assessed the underground damage at Fordow," Grossi said in a statement to an emergency meeting of the IAEA's 35-nation board of governors.
The IAEA has not been able to carry out inspections in Iran since Israel started its military strikes on nuclear facilities there on Jun 13.
"Given the explosive payload utilised and the extreme(ly) vibration-sensitive nature of centrifuges, very significant damage is expected to have occurred," Grossi added.
Beyond the level of damage done to Fordow's underground enrichment halls, one of the biggest open questions is the status of its stock of enriched uranium, particularly its more than 400kg of uranium enriched to up to 60 per cent purity, a short step from the roughly 90 per cent that is weapons grade.
That is enough, if enriched further, for nine nuclear weapons, according to an IAEA yardstick, though Iran says its intentions are peaceful and it does not seek atom bombs.
Iran did, however, inform the IAEA on Jun 13 that it would take "special measures" to protect its nuclear materials and equipment that are under so-called IAEA safeguards, the oversight provided for by the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, Grossi said.
"In my response that same day, I indicated that any transfer of nuclear material from a safeguarded facility to another location in Iran must be declared to the agency," Grossi said.
"Any special measures by Iran to protect its nuclear materials and equipment ... can be done in accordance with Iran's safeguards obligations ... This is possible."
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