IAEA chief says military escalation delaying nuclear diplomacy with Iran

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi said Monday that the ongoing military escalation between Israel and Iran is disrupting essential diplomatic efforts aimed at preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.

“This military escalation delays indispensable work towards a diplomatic solution for the long-term assurance that Iran does not acquire a nuclear weapon,” Grossi said, during an exceptional meeting of the IAEA Board of Governors in Vienna.

Grossi confirmed that four buildings at Iran’s Isfahan site were damaged in Friday’s Israeli strikes, including a uranium conversion facility, a fuel manufacturing plant, a central chemical laboratory, and a UF4 to EU metal processing facility. However, he noted that no damage had been observed at the Fordow fuel enrichment plant or the Khondab heavy water reactor, which is still under construction.

The IAEA chief said the agency remains present in Iran and that inspections would resume “as soon as safety conditions allow,” in line with Tehran’s obligations under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). “I am in touch with the inspectors on the ground; their safety remains our top priority,” he added.

Grossi also acknowledged ongoing cooperation and information sharing between the Iranian authorities and the IAEA.