WEDNESDAY April 16, 2025 |
By thenewsdesk.ng
Iran is not far from having an atomic bomb, the head of the UN nuclear watchdog was quoted as saying in a Le Monde interview published on Wednesday, April 16, 2025, just hours before a visit to Tehran, AFP reports.
International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA, head Rafael Grossi stated that Iran still had a way to go before acquiring the bomb, but added, “They’re not far from it, you have to acknowledge.”
Grossi compared the development of a nuclear weapon to a jigsaw puzzle, saying that Iran “has the pieces and they could eventually put them together one day.”
Grossi was scheduled to arrive in Iran later on Wednesday for talks with senior officials.
The UN watchdog has been tasked with overseeing Iran’s compliance with the 2015 nuclear deal, which collapsed after Donald Trump withdrew from it during his first term as US president.
Iran Close To Building Atomic Bomb, Says UN Official
This handout picture provided by the office of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei shows him addressing members Iranian government officials in Tehran on April 15, 2025. Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on April 15 voiced satisfaction with recent talks with the United States, expressing confidence in the Islamic Republic's position but casting doubt on US intentions. (Photo by KHAMENEI.IR / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY CREDIT "AFP PHOTO / HANDOUT/ KHAMENEI.IR" - NO MARKETING NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS - DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS