Iran Israel war: How soon can Tehran get back to its nuclear programme? UN's nuclear watchdog says...

Rafael Grossi, the chief of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), has issued a stark warning, saying that Iran would likely be able to resume producing enriched uranium within a matter of months despite substantial damage to its nuclear facilities in recent attacks. The IAEA is an Austria-headquartered global agency that promotes peaceful usage of nuclear energy. Grossi, the organisation's director-general, said that part of Iran's ambitious nuclear programme is "still standing." In a conflict lasting nearly two weeks, Iran's nuclear infrastructure was damaged by airstrikes from both Israel and the United States.

'A very ambitious programme'
In an interview with CBS News, Grossi said that Iran "can have, you know, in a matter of months, I would say, a few cascades of centrifuges spinning and producing enriched uranium, or less than that." The IAEA head added, "Iran had a very vast ambitious programme, and part of it may still be there, and if not, there is also the self-evident truth that the knowledge is there. The industrial capacity is there. Iran is a very sophisticated country in terms of nuclear technology, as is obvious."

Doubts around Iran's stock persist
It still remains unclear whether Iran was able to relocate some or all of its 400-plus kilogram stockpile of highly-enriched uranium before the attacks. "We don't know where this material could be," Grossi said in the same interview, adding: "So some could have been destroyed as part of the attack, but some could have been moved. So there has to be at some point a clarification."

US, Iran trade verbal attacks
Earlier this month, Iran's key nuclear facilities, including the highly-secured one in Fordow, were pounded by airstrikes launched by Israel and the US. American President Donald Trump has repeatedly claimed that the nuke sites have been "obliterated," setting Tehran's nuclear programme back by decades. But experts remain doubtful as exact details of the damage are not known yet. Trump has also said he would consider bombing Iran again if the Islamic Republic attempts to enrich its uranium stocks to worrisome levels. Meanwhile, Iran said a potential nuclear agreement was conditional on the US leader abandoning his "disrespectful and unacceptable" tone towards its Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.