Iran temporarily closed its nuclear facilities on Sunday as a precaution following its failed missile attack against the Jewish State, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
What I can tell you is that our inspectors in Iran were informed by the Iranian government that yesterday all the nuclear facilities that we are inspecting every day would remain closed on security considerations,” IAEA chief Rafael Grossi told reporters on the sidelines of a UN Security Council meeting on Monday as quoted by Reuters.
“I decided to not let the inspectors return until we see that the situation is completely calm,” he added, calling on Israel to show “extreme restraint” in their response.
For nearly two decades, under the “Atoms for Peace” program initiated by the United States in the 1950s, Iran developed a comprehensive nuclear infrastructure, planning numerous nuclear power facilities. However, following the 1979 Islamic Revolution, the regime shifted much of its nuclear activities into more secretive operations.
The exposure of covert nuclear activities towards the end of the 1990s and into the early 2000s heightened global concerns, leading to suspicions that Iran’s ostensibly civilian nuclear program might be a cover for developing nuclear weapons capabilities. By early 2024, reports indicated that Iran had achieved the capability to enrich uranium up to 60%, nearing the 90% enrichment level necessary for weapon-grade uranium.
