Vienna: The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Wednesday offered an assessment of Iran's nuclear capabilities that diverged from the rhetoric of the Trump administration, stating that while the nation's uranium stockpiles are alarming, there is no evidence of an active weapons program.
IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi clarified his position following claims by U.S. President Donald Trump that military intervention was necessary to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear arms.
"I have been very clear and consistent in my reports on Iran's nuclear programme: while there has been no evidence of Iran building a nuclear bomb, its large stockpile of near-weapons grade enriched uranium and refusal to grant my inspectors full access are cause for serious concern," Grossi stated in a post on X.
"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 programme is exclusively peaceful."
Differing Assessments of Risk
In a separate interview with CNN, Grossi emphasised that the agency lacks proof of a "structured, systematic program" to manufacture a weapon.
"While there are many elements there that were of serious concern: accumulation, unjustified accumulation of huge amounts of almost military-grade material, lack of transparency in inspections, and so on, we never had information indicating that there was a structured, systematic program to build, to construct a nuclear weapon," Grossi told CNN. "Obviously, countries, and that is the case for the United States or Israel, and perhaps others, may have the impression that all these activities are aimed directly and straight into the manufacturing of a nuclear weapon. We from the IAEA are not in the business of judging intentions."
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These remarks stand in sharp contrast to statements made by President Trump during a Tuesday night news conference. Trump, who has characterised the Iranian leadership as "mentally ill" and "crazy," insisted that the current U.S.-led military campaign was a preemptive necessity.
"If we didn't do what we're doing right now, you would've had a nuclear war, and they would've taken out many countries because you know what? They're sick people," Trump said. "These people are crazy -- and if they had a nuclear weapon, they would've used it."
The "Point of Immunity"
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio echoed the president's stance, arguing that the current strikes are designed to dismantle the infrastructure Iran would use to shield a future nuclear breakout.
"Iran is run by lunatics, religious fanatic lunatics," Rubio said. "The President made the decision to go after them, take away their missiles, take away their navy, take away their drones, take away their ability to make those things, so that they can never have a nuclear weapon... The world will be a safer place when these radical clerics no longer have access to these weapons."
Military and Diplomatic Deadlock
The regional conflict is now in its fifth day. The hostilities were ignited by U.S. and Israeli strikes that killed Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei and other high-ranking officials. Tehran has since retaliated with a series of missile and drone attacks against U.S. military bases and Israeli assets throughout the Middle East.
With inputs from ANI