By Ahora Qadi
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) – The Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, issued an urgent plea to the United Nations Security Council on Sunday, warning that the integrity of the global nuclear nonproliferation regime is at grave risk following U.S. airstrikes on Iranian nuclear sites.
Speaking during an emergency session of the Security Council, Grossi said the bombings on Fordow, Isfahan, and Natanz had intensified an already precarious situation. “The nuclear nonproliferation regime that has underpinned international security for more than half a century is on the line,” he declared.
Damage Assessment and Urgent Access Demands
Grossi confirmed visible craters at Fordow, Iran’s primary uranium enrichment site, and acknowledged that the U.S. used ground-penetrating munitions. Isfahan’s uranium conversion facilities and tunnel entrances used for enriched material storage were also hit, as well as the fuel enrichment plant at Natanz.
The IAEA chief stated that, while Iran had reported no increase in off-site radiation levels, the agency itself could not yet assess the full extent of underground damage, particularly at Fordow. “This can be done only through IAEA inspections,” he said, adding that the current hostilities must cease to allow safe access.
Diplomacy or Collapse
Calling for an immediate cessation of military action, Grossi emphasized the necessity of de-escalation to preserve the NPT and prevent regional catastrophe. “If that window closes, violence and destruction could reach unthinkable levels, and the global nonproliferation regime, as we know it, could crumble and fall,” he warned.
Grossi confirmed that a special session of the IAEA Board of Governors would convene Monday morning in Vienna to continue discussions and urged all stakeholders to prioritize dialogue.
Nuclear Safety Must Prevail
Reaffirming IAEA positions outlined in past General Conference resolutions, Grossi condemned armed attacks on nuclear facilities and warned of their potential to trigger radioactive fallout beyond national borders.
“There is arguably no more important and universally supported endeavor than ensuring that we use the enormous power of the atom for good rather than destruction,” he said. “Let us not allow the window to close on diplomacy. Let us not allow the nonproliferation regime to fail.”
Grossi concluded by reiterating the agency’s readiness to deploy nuclear safety experts and safeguards inspectors to Iran immediately.