UN nuclear chief says Iran has material to build bombs, but no plan to do so

As President Donald Trump weighs joining Israel's warfare to destruct Iran's atomic capabilities, the world's main atomic authoritative tells Fox News that helium sees nary grounds Iran's leaders are racing to physique a atomic bomb.

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi said, "We person confirmed that Iran does have, adjacent now, capable worldly for respective warheads.

"But this should not beryllium equated with a atomic weapon," Grossi continued, adding, "We bash not person astatine this point, if you inquire me, astatine this time, immoderate tangible impervious that determination is simply a program, oregon a plan, to fabricate, to manufacture a atomic weapon."

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Smoke rises from the gathering of Iran's state-run tv aft an Israeli onslaught successful Tehran, Iran, connected Monday, June 16, 2025. (AP Photo)

Inspectors from Grossi's agency, which is the United Nations' atomic watchdog, are tasked with monitoring Iran's atomic activities. The IAEA has not been capable to transportation retired inspections since Israel began attacking sites earlier this period but has been making extended usage of outer imagery.

When asked by Fox News whether Iran's atomic programme had been acceptable backmost dramatically by Israel's attacks to date, Grossi said, "No, I wouldn't accidental so.

"I deliberation determination person been a fig of important subject attacks and impacts," helium said. "But it is precise clear, and everybody agrees connected this, that not everything has been taken out."

He besides argued that subject enactment unsocial would not beryllium capable to undo what Iran has learned successful respective decades of atomic research.

International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Grossi is progressively acrophobic astir Iran's atomic program. (Albert Otti/picture confederation via Getty Images)

"One happening is the carnal damage," Grossi said. "But past determination is the cognition factor, and the information that it is precise hard to rotation backmost the cognition that a state has acquired."

Iran has blamed Israel for the killings of aggregate Iranian atomic scientists implicit galore years, including respective successful caller days. The IAEA censured Iran connected June 12, conscionable hours earlier Israel launched its question of attacks, for failing to comply with commitments meant to forestall it from processing a atomic weapon.

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However, contempt the IAEA reprimand, and the existent fighting, Grossi insists a diplomatic solution remains a viable option.

"I judge that determination is simply a mode to instrumentality this information -- oregon this interest -- retired of the array successful a negotiated way.

"I've been successful conversations, precise bully conversations, with [President Trump's envoy] Steve Witkoff and with the Iranians arsenic well," Grossi said.

A representation shows wherever Iran's astir important atomic facilities are situated. (Fox News/FDD)

"I judge determination are ways successful which we tin marque definite that Iran does not get a atomic weapon. I deliberation this is yet what Israel wants and what the United States has declared.

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"We are the planetary corps of inspectors, and we cognize what you would request to cheque successful bid to forestall this from happening.

"We judge that the accidental should beryllium seized, arsenic President Trump said, but of people the abstraction for that is narrowing."