Speaking to i24 News and The Jerusalem Post, Grossi stated that Iranian officials had cautioned him about the potential consequences of a raid.
“A strike could potentially have an amalgamating effect, solidifying Iran’s determination – I will say it plainly – to pursue a nuclear weapon or withdraw from the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons,” he said in an interview that was published on Monday.
Grossi added that he did not believe Israel would launch such an operation.
“But one thing is certain,” he continued, “The [Iranian] programme runs wide and deep. And when I say ‘deep’, I mean it. Many of these facilities are extremely well-protected. Disrupting them would require overwhelming and devastating force.”
Iranian officials have reiterated that Tehran has no intention of acquiring nuclear weapons, emphasizing that the country’s position is grounded in religious principles and the explicit fatwa of the Leader of the Islamic Revolution, Ayatollah Seyed Ali Khamenei.
He made his comments as Iran prepares a counteroffer to a US proposal for a new nuclear deal.
Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said on Monday that the US offer lacked key elements and failed to address sanctions relief – a longstanding demand from Tehran.
“We will soon submit our own proposed plan to the other side through Oman once it is finalised,” Baghaei added without elaborating on the details.
He also criticised the IAEA’s latest report on Iran’s nuclear programme as “unbalanced”, accusing it of relying on “forged documents” from Israel. The IAEA had recently described Iran’s cooperation as “less than satisfactory”, particularly in clarifying past nuclear activities at undeclared locations.
The US and Iran are trying to strike a new nuclear agreement after a 2015 agreement was abandoned by US President Donald Trump in 2018 during his first term.
Trump described Iran on Monday as a “tough” and skilled negotiator, as Washington continues indirect nuclear talks with Tehran.
“We’re doing a lot of work on Iran right now,” Trump stated during a White House economic event. “It’s tough … They’re great negotiators.”
