Iran’s Centrifuges No Longer Operating, UN Claims
A UN nuclear observer announced Thursday that centrifuges at Iran’s notorious underground enrichment facility are “no longer in operation.” This statement supports the Trump administration’s view that a recent strike has significantly hindered Tehran’s pursuit of nuclear weapons.
Rafael Grossi, the Director of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), mentioned that there are numerous claims about Iranian facilities that seem to be “missing,” yet confirmed, “we already know that these centrifuges are no longer in operation.” It’s a troubling situation, really.
Grossi emphasized the extent of the damage caused by the US strike, stating, “It caused a lot of damage.” He didn’t hold back when referring to the impact, repeatedly stressing how significant it was. “It’s very, very, very, very, very, very, very much damage.”
While Argentina did not provide an estimated timeline of how much Iran’s nuclear program had regressed since Saturday’s strike, it did assert that “these capabilities will make it much more difficult for Iran to continue at the same pace as before.”
Determining exactly how much damage was done at each site requires ground access, which Iranian authorities are reluctant to provide. Grossi further explained that the centrifuges, crucial to enriching uranium to weapon-grade levels, are very sensitive to vibrations and need precision to function properly.
“We never escaped any serious physical damage,” Grossi noted regarding the US bomb’s effects, suggesting they could reach a fairly accurate conclusion about the damage.
Trump has claimed that Iran’s facilities were “eliminated,” whereas a preliminary assessment by the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) suggested the attack might have only set back the program by a few months.
CIA Director John Ratcliffe later stated that Iran’s nuclear program was “severely damaged,” backed by what he described as reliable intelligence. Others in the intelligence community echoed similar sentiments.
During a press conference Thursday, officials, including Chairman Pete Hegses and Chief of Staff Dan Kane, aimed to address the speculation regarding whether the strike fully destroyed the nuclear efforts at the targeted facilities.
Trump pushed back against fears that Iran had moved enriched uranium out of the site. He contended that the vehicles seen at the location were merely workers’ trucks used to cover the top of the shaft, emphasizing that nothing had been removed. “It’s taking too long, too dangerous; it’s so heavy that it’s difficult to move around!” he insisted.
Meanwhile, Iranian leaders have sought to maintain a façade of normalcy. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei stated in a speech, “The US has hit nuclear sites, but it hasn’t achieved much,” framing the situation as a show of power by the US President.
Khamenei also proclaimed victory over both the US and Israel, despite Iran’s apparent struggles, particularly following a failed retaliatory strike on Qatar’s Al Udeid Air Force Base.
As the IAEA inspector noted, there’s a significant lack of nuclear weapons treaties in the region. Nevertheless, on Wednesday, the Iranian parliament took steps to cease its cooperation with the IAEA and move toward expelling state inspectors.
