IAEA Chief: Fordo Strike Impact Unclear, Natanz ‘Completely Destroyed’

The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) says the extent of damage at Iran’s Fordo nuclear site remains unknown following U.S. airstrikes overnight.

“There are clear indications of impacts,” IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi told CNN, “but as for the assessment for the degree of damage underground, on this we cannot pronounce ourselves.”

“No one could tell you how much it has been damaged,” he added. Grossi noted visible structural changes and said that “one cannot exclude that there is significant damage there.”

According to Grossi, Iran’s Natanz facility above ground has been “completely destroyed,” while the underground parts “suffered a lot” due to widespread power outages resulting from Israeli strikes.

He also reported that the Isfahan site sustained “very significant damage.”

However, Fordo would not have been affected by external power cuts, Grossi said, as it is equipped with internal emergency electrical systems.