IAEA Chief Describes Craters From US Strike On Iran's Fordow Site

NEW YORK, June 23 (Bernama-dpa) -- International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Rafael Grossi has described the condition of the three Iranian nuclear sites targeted by the overnight US strikes to the UN Security Council.

Craters were visible at the well-fortified underground uranium enrichment facility in Fordow, Grossi said at the emergency meeting in New York on Sunday, reported German news agency dpa.

The facility is widely believed to be one of Israel's most critical targets in the war launched on June 13.

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"At this time, no one - including the IAEA - is in a position to assess the underground damage at Fordow," he added.

In Isfahan, the entrances to tunnels that had apparently been used to store enriched material had been hit, Grossi said. 

At the third site, in Natanz, a fuel enrichment facility had been hit.

Iran had informed the agency that there was no increase in radiation outside the three facilities, Grossi told the council.

The IAEA head called on Iran to allow his agency's inspectors access to the facilities. 

He also appealed to all parties involved to return to dialogue and diplomacy during the current "window of opportunity."

"If that window closes, violence and destruction could reach unthinkable levels and the global non-proliferation regime as we know it could crumble and fall," he added.

According to reports, the Iranian parliament will weigh the country's withdrawal from the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) following the US strikes on its nuclear facilities.

--BERNAMA-dpa