'No evidence Iran building nukes': UN watchdog junks US claims
What's the story
The Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, has clarified that there is no evidence of Iran developing a nuclear weapon. However, he expressed concern over Iran's large stockpile of near-weapons-grade enriched uranium and its refusal to grant full access to IAEA inspectors. "I have been very clear and consistent in my reports on Iran's nuclear program: while there has been no evidence of Iran building a nuclear bomb...," Grossi said in a post on X.
Nuclear worries
Grossi's statement on Iran's nuclear program
Grossi further said, "For these reasons, my previous reports indicate that unless and until Iran assists the IAEA in resolving the outstanding safeguards issues, the Agency will not be in a position to provide assurance that Iran's nuclear program is exclusively peaceful." In an interview with CNN, Grossi reiterated that there was no indication of a systematic program to build a nuclear weapon in Iran. However, he acknowledged concerns over accumulation of military-grade material and lack of transparency.
Conflict update
'We never had information indicating...'
"We never had information indicating that there was a structured, systematic program to build, to construct a nuclear weapon. So we have to balance the two things." "Yes, many reasons for concern, but there wasn't to be a bomb tomorrow or the day after tomorrow. Obviously, countries, and that is the case for the United States or Israel...may have the impression that all these activities are aimed directly and straight into the manufacturing of a nuclear weapon," he told CNN.
US stance
Trump's claim about Iran acquiring nuclear weapons
The IAEA DG's comments come amid heightened tensions between the United States and Iran after Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in a joint US-Israel strike. US President Donald Trump had claimed that without their actions, Iran would have acquired nuclear weapons. "If we didn't do what we're doing right now, you would've had a nuclear war," he said in a news conference on Tuesday night (local time).
Witkoff
Witkoff says Iran claimed it had enough enriched uranium
The same day, Trump's special envoy Steve Witkoff stated that Iran claimed to have enough enriched uranium to make 11 nuclear weapons before the US and Israel began an attack on the country over the weekend. "Both the Iranian negotiators said to us, directly, with, you know, no shame, that they controlled 460 kilograms of 60%, and they're aware that that could make 11 nuclear bombs, and that was the beginning of their negotiating stance," Witkoff told Fox News.