The head of the United Nations nuclear watchdog said it is “very likely” that nearly all 15,000 centrifuges at Iran’s largest uranium enrichment facility were severely damaged or destroyed in an Israeli airstrike.
Speaking to the BBC on Monday, Rafael Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), confirmed that the centrifuges at the underground Natanz enrichment plant suffered catastrophic damage due to a sudden loss of external power — the result of a targeted Israeli strike on the facility’s power infrastructure.
“Our assessment is that with this sudden loss of external power, in great probability the centrifuges have been severely damaged, if not destroyed altogether,” Grossi said, adding, “I think there has been damage inside.”
Earlier IAEA statements had suggested damage was likely but left room for uncertainty. Grossi’s latest comments, delivered both in the interview and in a special session of the agency’s 35-nation Board of Governors, indicate a growing confidence in the extent of the operational disruption at Natanz.
While the underground enrichment hall itself did not appear to be directly struck, the high-speed centrifuges housed inside rely on continuous and stable power to maintain function. Sudden power loss can destabilize the delicate machinery, often leading to internal collapse or complete failure.
Grossi also confirmed that Israel’s military campaign had already taken out two of Iran’s three operational enrichment plants, including the destruction of the above-ground pilot facility at Natanz.
(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
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One Response
I wouldn’t trust anything this guy says.
The whole organization is staffed by snakes.
If he says that destroying the power plant destroyed the centrifuges, then they must’ve had UPSs and the centrifuges are fine.
Please go back and bomb the facility again.