VIENNA: The head of the UN’s nuclear watchdog, Rafael Grossi, has confirmed that Iran intended to open a new uranium enrichment plant in Isfahan — a major nuclear complex that came under Israeli attack last week. The revelation comes as tensions escalate over Iran’s nuclear ambitions and the broader Middle East conflict.
Speaking Thursday, Grossi identified Isfahan as the site of the new facility Iran had planned to bring online in defiance of growing international scrutiny. The announcement had been made just a day before Israel launched a barrage of military strikes targeting Iranian nuclear infrastructure, including several sites in Isfahan.
“There was an announcement, quite coincidentally, on the eve of the start of the military operation by Israel, of a new enrichment facility in Isfahan,” Grossi said. He noted that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) had scheduled an inspection at the site, which was postponed due to the Israeli assault.
While Grossi declined to specify the exact location of the planned facility within the Isfahan complex, he acknowledged its scale, calling it a “huge” site with multiple nuclear-related installations. The IAEA has confirmed that Israeli strikes on June 14 damaged at least four buildings at Isfahan, including the Uranium Conversion Facility, which processes raw uranium into gas feedstock used in enrichment.
Grossi added that although surface structures were hit, the IAEA currently believes that underground installations — where Iran stores much of its highly enriched uranium — remain intact. However, no inspections have taken place since the attacks, leaving international authorities with limited visibility on the extent of the damage or Iran’s current enrichment capacity.
Isfahan, located in central Iran, plays a critical role in the country’s nuclear program. The enrichment facility Iran was preparing to activate would have been its fourth operational site. Its announcement was widely interpreted as a countermeasure to a resolution passed by the IAEA’s 35-member Board of Governors, which condemned Iran for breaching non-proliferation obligations — particularly for failing to explain uranium traces at undeclared locations.
In the wake of Israel’s strikes, one Iranian enrichment plant was reportedly destroyed, while another was rendered non-operational after its power supply was severed, according to initial IAEA assessments.
Grossi expressed concern over the inability of his agency to inspect facilities following the military escalation, underscoring the fragility of global oversight mechanisms amid regional conflict.
Meanwhile, Tehran has maintained that its nuclear program is peaceful, but Western governments remain skeptical, especially as Iran expands its enrichment capabilities and restricts international monitoring.
With Israel committed to halting what it sees as a clear nuclear threat, and Iran vowing further retaliation for diplomatic and military pressure, fears of a broader regional confrontation continue to mount — especially as the fate of key nuclear infrastructure and negotiations remains uncertain.
