Tehran [Iran], June 18 (HBTV): The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has confirmed that two Iranian centrifuge production facilities — the TESA Karaj workshop and the Tehran Research Center — were hit in recent strikes.    

‘The IAEA has information that two centrifuge production facilities in Iran, the TESA Karaj workshop and the Tehran Research Center, were hit. Both sites were previously under IAEA monitoring and verification as part of the JCPOA,’ the agency stated in a post on X.

The agency added that at the Tehran site, one building was hit where advanced centrifuge rotors were manufactured and tested, while at Karaj, two buildings were destroyed where different centrifuge components were manufactured.

On Wednesday, the Embassy of Iran in India shared a statement made by IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi, who said the agency had no evidence that Iran was pursuing a nuclear weapons programme.

In a post on X, the Embassy quoted Grossi: ‘What we reported was that we did not have any proof of a systematic effort (by Iran) to move toward a nuclear weapon.’

Responding to a question about Iran’s nuclear weapons ambitions, Grossi reiterated, ‘What we informed and what we reported was that we did not have… any proof of a systematic effort to move into a nuclear weapon.’

Meanwhile, Times of Israel, citing Hebrew media, reported that Israeli intelligence had discovered Iranian scientists had conducted successful experiments in designing a nuclear weapon, suggesting Iran could be only weeks away from producing a bomb.

According to the report, this ‘golden information’ was presented to Israeli political leadership by intelligence officials ahead of the decision to launch preemptive strikes on Friday. Concerns were also raised that Israel might not have complete information and that Iran could be further along in its nuclear weapons development than known.

Amid rising tensions, the US State Department on Tuesday reiterated Washington’s firm position: ‘Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon,’ maintaining the stance originally taken under the Trump administration.

(ANI)