The head of the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog issued a stark warning Tuesday following a deeper analysis of U.S. airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear program: the destruction is more severe than initially reported — and may include chemical contamination.

This comes as other reports from CNN and Times of Israel say that the airstrikes either delayed Iran’s nuclear program by a few months (according to CNN), or a few years (according to Times of Israel). This latest report, first published by the NY Post, creates a new layer of speculation and confusion.

Rafael Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said new satellite imagery of Iran’s Fordow and Natanz nuclear sites revealed previously unseen damage, including evidence of potential toxic hazards at Natanz and critical infrastructure hits at Fordow.

At Fordow — a fortified underground facility carved into the mountains south of Tehran — analysts found that access roads and at least one entrance had been struck. The U.S. is believed to have dropped 14 30,000-pound bunker-buster bombs on the site, which houses uranium enrichment equipment buried as deep as 300 feet underground.

The findings at Natanz were no better. IAEA analysts identified two direct missile penetrations above the facility’s underground enrichment halls — areas used for both uranium processing and sensitive storage. Grossi warned that based on the known contents of those chambers, “this strike may have caused localized contamination and chemical hazards.”

The U.S. reportedly used cruise missiles launched from a nuclear-powered submarine to hit Natanz and two other sites in the coordinated Saturday strike.

While Grossi assured that “no radiological impact” has been detected in surrounding populations so far, the full extent of the damage remains unclear. IAEA teams have not been permitted on the ground to inspect the facilities firsthand, limiting the agency’s ability to assess potential contamination or nuclear material leakage.

Grossi has formally called on Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi to grant immediate access to the damaged sites, warning that continued non-cooperation could permanently derail diplomatic efforts.

“Resuming cooperation with the IAEA is key to a successful diplomatic agreement to finally resolve the dispute over Iran’s nuclear activities,” Grossi wrote.

Compounding international concern is the revelation that nearly 900 pounds of uranium enriched to 60% has gone missing since the Israeli airstrikes began on June 13. Grossi confirmed that the IAEA has no current knowledge of the uranium’s location — a deeply troubling development given how close that level of enrichment is to weapons-grade material.

U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance suggested the missing uranium may have been buried beneath the rubble during the bombings. But other experts point to satellite footage that captured trucks entering and exiting Fordow and other nuclear sites in the days leading up to the strikes — raising the possibility that Iran deliberately moved or concealed the material in anticipation of the assault.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)