【Epoch Times, June 14, 2025】The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi, announced on Friday at a United Nations Security Council meeting that the ground enrichment facility at the Natanz nuclear site in Iran has been destroyed. The focus of the meeting was Israel’s airstrike on Iran on the same day.
Currently, the Iranian authorities have also reported that two other facilities – the Fordow fuel enrichment plant and the Isfahan nuclear facility – have come under attack. This information was conveyed to the 15 member countries of the International Atomic Energy Agency by IAEA Director General Grossi.
“Our information at the moment is limited, and we can only confirm military activities near these facilities,” he said.
According to Reuters, Grossi stated that the uranium produced at the destroyed Natanz facility had been enriched to 60%, approaching the 90% weapons-grade level required for nuclear weapons. He mentioned that the power infrastructure in Natanz was also destroyed, causing a disruption in the power supply to the centrifuges, potentially resulting in equipment damage. However, he emphasized that the radiation levels outside Natanz remained normal without any abnormal changes.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi called for the Security Council meeting, stating that Israel’s actions had “crossed all red lines,” and the international community should not allow it to act with impunity.
Araghchi wrote in a letter to the Security Council, “Iran reaffirms its right to self-defense under Article 51 of the United Nations Charter” and will respond accordingly to Israel’s airstrikes.
Iran launched retaliatory strikes against Israel on Friday night.
Earlier in the day, Israel fired a large number of missiles, targeting multiple Iranian nuclear facilities and missile factories, allegedly killing several high-ranking military officers. Israeli officials stated that the operation aimed to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons and emphasized that the action could continue for some time.
“We do not know how long this will take,” Israel’s Ambassador to the United Nations, Danny Danon, told reporters. “We will continue our operations until we confirm the threat has been eliminated.”
He added, “Our objective is clear – to ensure that Iran cannot possess nuclear weapons and to halt its ballistic missile program. I will explain this to the Security Council and hope they will understand.”
Grossi stressed that the IAEA maintains “constant contact” with Iran’s nuclear regulatory agency.
“I have informed the relevant Iranian authorities that I am ready to visit the site at any time to assess the situation and ensure the safety, security, and non-proliferation principles of Iran’s nuclear program are upheld,” he said.