On Wednesday, Rafael Grossi of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed that an airstrike from the United States rendered part of Iran’s Fordow nuclear facility nonfunctional – signalling an important development in their ongoing nuclear standoff with Washington.
At an IAEA press conference held earlier this week in Vienna, Grossi reported that IAEA inspectors visiting Fordow have confirmed that several advanced centrifuges used for enrichment at Fordow are no longer operational due to physical damage sustained during recent strikes at Fordow.
Fordow, a heavily fortified underground facility near Qom, has long been one of Iran’s most sensitive nuclear sites, known for housing advanced IR-6 centrifuges capable of enriching uranium to near weapons grade levels. Since Iran began restricting cooperation with the IAEA recently, Fordow has come under intermittent monitoring by IAEA monitors.
Grossi did not give details of the damage sustained, but deemed the incident “serious” and encouraged all sides involved to refrain from further escalated tensions.
“This is an alarming development,” he stated, noting that damage to any nuclear facility, civilian or military, carries with it risks of broader instability and environmental consequences. We urge restraint and renewing commitment to diplomacy engagement.
The U.S. Department of Defense has not made an official response to IAEA findings, though the strike on Fordow was widely reported earlier this month as part of an operation targeting multiple Iranian military and nuclear sites. Pentagon sources had previously indicated that its goal was to “disrupt Iran’s ability to rapidly increase its nuclear capability.”
Iran initially denied any significant damage to its nuclear infrastructure, with state media insisting that all facilities remained fully functional and undamaged. But Wednesday’s statement from the IAEA contradicted Tehran’s assurances and added to mounting pressure for clarity regarding their current nuclear program status.
Iranian authorities have yet to officially respond to Grossi’s remarks; however, sources within Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI), on condition of anonymity, have acknowledged that technical teams are currently assessing damage at the site in question and working to restore functionality at that location.
Iran recently took steps to suspend voluntary cooperation with the IAEA, restricting inspector access and data sharing. Western diplomats fear that with reduced oversight and increasing instability, miscalculation or hidden nuclear activity may increase.
“This development underscores the urgent need to reestablish full IAEA access,” stated France’s ambassador to the UN in Vienna. “Transparency is the only way to keep this crisis under control.”
The Fordow incident will likely impede any future efforts to revive the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the nuclear deal from which the U.S. withdrew in 2018. Talks have since remained dormant due to mutual distrust and an absence of formal diplomatic engagement.
As the international community considers the implications of IAEA findings, Iran’s nuclear program and regional equilibrium remain uncertain.