IAEA expresses concern about Israel's intentions to strike nuclear facilities in Iran
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is concerned about the likelihood of Israeli attacks on nuclear facilities in Iran (photo: Getty Images)
The Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, expressed concern over potential strikes by the Israeli Defense Forces on nuclear facilities in Iran, reports The Times of Israel.
According to Grossi, Iran closed its nuclear facilities on Sunday, April 14, for security reasons.
On Monday, April 15, access to the facilities was restored, but the country's authorities did not allow IAEA inspectors to enter, explaining, until we are convinced that the situation has completely calmed down.
"We are going to resume tomorrow. This has not had an impact on our inspection activity," Grossi told reporters in New York.
Responding to questions about the possibility of an Israeli strike on Iranian nuclear facilities, Grossi said, "We are always concerned about this possibility." He called for extreme restraint.
Iran's nuclear facilities
Since 2011, the IAEA has expressed concern about the possible military dimension of Iran's nuclear program. Since then, several reports have been published on this possibility.
On January 2, 2021, the Iranian authorities officially informed the IAEA of their intention to enrich uranium to 20%. And already on January 4, the process of enriching uranium to 20% began at the Iranian nuclear facility in Fordo.
On January 7, the official representative of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, Behrouz Kamalvandi, stated that Iran could easily enrich uranium to 90%.
In the fall of 2022, the Iranian government began a massive expansion of its uranium enrichment capabilities, using centrifuges at an underground plant in Natanz.
In March of this year, the IAEA confirmed the detection of enriched uranium in Iran, close in concentration to that suitable for making weapons.
In March, Bloomberg reported that the prospect of Iran obtaining Russian S-400 air defense systems could accelerate Israel's decision to strike nuclear facilities.
In September 2023, the US and Israel practiced strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities during exercises.
