April 27, 2026
World
World
WASHINGTON, April 27 — A man accused of targeting US administration officials at a Washington event has been arrested after allegedly opening fire, injuring a Secret Service agent.
VIENNA, June 23 — The recent US airstrikes likely caused “very significant” damage to the underground sections of Iran’s Fordow uranium enrichment facility, which is built into a mountain, though the full extent remains unknown, UN nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi said today.
On Sunday, the United States deployed its most powerful conventional bunker-busting bombs against Iranian nuclear sites, including Fordow, marking the first combat use of these munitions in an effort to destroy deeply buried facilities.
“At this time, no one — including the IAEA — is in a position to fully assess the underground damage at Fordow,” Grossi told an emergency session of the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) 35-member Board of Governors.
The IAEA has been unable to conduct inspections in Iran since Israel launched airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities on June 13.
“Given the explosive force involved and the extreme sensitivity of centrifuges to vibrations, it is expected that very significant damage has occurred,” Grossi added.
One of the key uncertainties is the condition of Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile, especially over 400 kilograms enriched up to 60 per cent — just below the 90 per cent level needed for weapons-grade material. According to IAEA estimates, this amount could be further enriched to produce enough fissile material for nine nuclear weapons. Iran, however, maintains that its nuclear programme is peaceful and denies seeking atomic weapons.
Grossi also noted that on June 13, Iran informed the IAEA of plans to take “special measures” to safeguard its nuclear material and equipment under IAEA oversight, as stipulated by the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. — Reuters
