Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Grossi has expressed concerns that Iran is nearing the capability to develop its own nuclear weapons.
In an interview with Le Monde, Grossi stated, "While Iran possesses sufficient materials to create not just one, but several bombs, it has not yet developed nuclear weapons.
"It’s akin to a jigsaw puzzle: they have all the pieces, and some day, they could assemble them. Although it may take some time, we must recognize that they are not far from achieving this goal," Grossi said.
He noted that the IAEA has observed significant progress in Iran’s nuclear activities over the past four years.
The IAEA chief emphasized that any negotiations between the U.S. and Iran regarding Tehran's nuclear program would be futile without a robust framework for independent verification and monitoring, which only the IAEA is able to provide.
"We are not directly involved in the bilateral discussions between Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and U.S. Special Envoy Steven Witkoff, but we remain invested in the outcome," Grossi said.
According to him, Tehran and Washington understand that the IAEA assessment will be crucial to any potential agreement, they have already engaged in informal discussions.
