International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said his agency does not know where nearly 900 pounds of potentially enriched uranium is located, after Iranian officials said it was being removed for protective measures ahead of strikes on nuclear facilities in Iran.
Grossi was a guest on Fox News’ "The Story with Martha MacCallum," on Tuesday, when he was asked about the whereabouts of the enriched uranium in Iran, as well as other topics concerning the U.S. strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities on Saturday.
The U.S. military on Saturday carried out massive precision strikes on three key nuclear sites in Iran, including Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan.
Grossi said Natanz was the first to be hit and sustained "very serious damage" in one of the centrifuge halls where enrichment was being carried out. Isfahan also sustained damage, he added, though nobody has been inside the halls to assess the damage.
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MacCallum asked Grossi about a statement in which he previously said he believed 900 pounds of potentially enriched uranium was taken to an ancient site near Isfahan.
"I have to be very precise, Martha…We are the IAEA, so we are not speculating here," Grossi said. "We do not have information of the whereabouts of this material."
He told the host Iran officials told him they were taking protective measures which may or may not include moving around the material.
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"So, it is quite obvious you are asking me about it, that there is a question there: Where is this?" Grossi said. "So, the way to asserting that is to allow the inspection activity to resume as soon as possible. And I think this would be for the benefit of all."
The director would not argue with a statement from Vice President JD Vance in which he said if Iran has 60% enriched uranium, but not the ability to enrich it to 90%, they do not have the ability to convert the uranium into a nuclear weapon.
"I wouldn’t argue with that because 60% is not 90%," Grossi said, but more important is figuring out if the uranium was moved and where it is located. "My obligation is to account for every gram of uranium that exists in Iran and in any other country," he said, adding that the investigation is not a discriminant approach against Iran.
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Vance said in his statement that the mission was a success if Iran cannot convert the uranium to 90% for a nuclear weapon, and Grossi agreed with that statement, at least in terms of a military approach.
But Grossi’s job is different.
"My job is to try to see where is this material, because Iran has an obligation to report and account for all the material that they have, and this is going to continue to be my work," Grossi said.
