The director of the United Nations’ nuclear agency said on Friday that Iran technically has enough uranium to produce “several” nuclear warheads, as the Iran–Israel conflict entered its seventh day.
Speaking to Fox News, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) director general Rafael Grossi said that the agency “confirmed that Iran does have, even now, enough material for several warheads,” but suggested that the material may not be used for nuclear weapons.
“But this should not be equated with a nuclear weapon,” he said, adding, “We do not have at this point, if you ask me, at this time, any tangible proof that there is a program, or a plan, to fabricate, to manufacture a nuclear weapon.”
Tehran has long said that its nuclear program, including facilities located deep underground, is for civilian purposes and has rejected assertions from the United States and Israel that say otherwise.
In the past week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and U.S. President Donald Trump have said Iran was actively working on producing nuclear weapons and had enough material to produce those devices, leading to surprise Israeli airstrikes on Iranian facilities and military officials on June 13.
Grossi told Fox News that Iran’s nuclear capabilities have likely not been set back significantly due to the Israeli airstrikes.
“No, I wouldn’t say so … I think there have been a number of important military attacks and impacts,” he said. “But it is very clear, and everybody agrees on this, that not everything has been taken out.”
In a statement read aloud by White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt on Thursday, Trump said that he has given himself a two-week deadline to decide on whether the United States should get directly involved in the conflict.
For the past week, the president has been weighing whether to attack Iran with U.S. military assets. He’s said that he wants negotiations with Iran, but also stressed that he is seeking the “unconditional surrender” of the Iranian regime amid the conflict.
“Based on the fact that there’s a substantial chance of negotiation that may or may not take place with Iran in the near future, I will make my decision whether or not to go in the next two weeks,” Trump said in the statement read by Leavitt to reporters on Thursday
On Wednesday morning, Trump indicated he was noncommittal to the idea of a U.S. strike on Iran when asked about it during a White House news conference.
“I may do it, I may not do it. I mean, nobody knows what I’m going to do,” the president told reporters. “I can tell you this, that Iran’s got a lot of trouble. And they want to negotiate. And I say, ‘Why didn’t you negotiate with me before all this death and destruction?’”
The president was referring to a 60-day deadline that was set for Iran to engage in negotiations on its nuclear program, which ended last week.
Some Republicans, conservative allies, and prominent supporters have called on Trump not to get the United States involved in the conflict, while some have said that U.S. involvement would lead to a decisive blow to Iran.
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) has cautioned against U.S. involvement, saying on social media platform X that it would go against Trump’s campaign promise of no more foreign U.S. wars. But others, including Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), have pushed for more aggressive action against Tehran.
Iranian officials on Friday, meanwhile, have said that there will be no Iran–U.S. talks until Israel stops its airstrikes. Iran has also launched numerous missiles at Israel, with some striking residential areas and at least one hospital, Israeli officials have said.
