The Iranian representative to the IAEA claimed that airstrikes from the US and Israel targeted the Natanz enrichment site, which contradicts the statement made by IAEA chief Rafael Grossi, who indicated that there was no evidence of damage to nuclear facilities. Tehran also expressed its discontent with Washington during the Board meeting.

Iran Claims Airstrikes on Natanz

Reported by AP on March 3, 2026, at 12:32 AM

Vienna: On Monday, Iran’s envoy to the International Atomic Energy Agency claimed that airstrikes conducted by the United States and Israel targeted the Natanz enrichment site in his nation.

This contradicts a statement made by Rafael Grossi, the head of the UN nuclear watchdog, who indicated that “up to this point” the agency has “no evidence” of any nuclear sites being struck in Iran.

IAEA Denies Damage Reports

“Once again, they targeted Iran’s nuclear facilities, which are under peaceful safeguards, yesterday (Sunday). Their claim that Iran aims to create nuclear weapons is nothing but a blatant falsehood,” Reza Najafi stated to reporters at the IAEA headquarters in Vienna, where a special session of the Board of Governors is convening at Russia’s request.

When a journalist inquired about which nuclear facility he was mentioning, Najafi answered, “Natanz.” Located approximately 220 kilometers (135 miles) south of the capital, the Natanz facility comprises both above-ground and subterranean laboratories that conducted the majority of Iran’s uranium enrichment activities.

Prior to the conflict, the IAEA reported that Iran had utilized sophisticated centrifuges at that location to enrich uranium to 60 percent, which is a minor technical step away from the weapons-grade threshold of 90 percent. It is believed that some of the material was still present when the entire facility was targeted last June.

Tensions Between Iran and US

The primary above-ground enrichment facility at Natanz was referred to as the Pilot Fuel Enrichment Plant. On June 13, Israel targeted the structure, rendering it “functionally destroyed,” and causing significant damage to the underground chambers housing cascades of centrifuges, as reported by Rafael Grossi, the IAEA’s director-general, at that time. A subsequent US strike on June 22 targeted Natanz’s subterranean sites with bunker-busting munitions, likely obliterating what was left.

During the special session of the Board of Governors, IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi stated that, as of now, the International Atomic Energy Agency has “no evidence that any nuclear facilities, including the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant, the Tehran Research Reactor, or other components of the nuclear fuel cycle” in Iran have sustained any damage or been targeted.

He mentioned that the IAEA is still attempting to reach out to the Iranian nuclear regulatory bodies through the IAEA’s own Incident and Emergency Centre “without any replies thus far,” due to the communication challenges posed by the ongoing conflict.

Rafael Grossi’s Statement

Grossi called for military caution, emphasizing that Iran and several other nations in the area that have faced military actions possess “operational nuclear power facilities and nuclear research reactors, along with related fuel storage locations, heightening the risk to nuclear safety.” He noted that, to date, “no increase in radiation levels beyond the normal background has been observed in countries adjacent to Iran.”

Najafi criticizes Trump

Najafi remarked that the United States employs “misleading tactics and false narratives to invade other nations.” He claimed that the conflict was initiated by US President Donald Trump, “who tries to present himself as a peacemaker and seeks the Nobel Peace Prize. Even when they discuss peace, it is a falsehood. And when they advocate for diplomacy, it’s rooted in deception,” he stated.

Najafi remarked that the assaults on his nation are “illegal, inhumane, and savage” and urged the nations of the 35-member IAEA Board of Governors to “firmly denounce” these actions.

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