The nuclear facilities in Iran were attacked by the US military, and the international community calls on Iran: do not retaliate, negotiate.

The Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Grossi, told CNN that the Iranian nuclear facilities targeted by the US military last night showed "obvious signs of impact." This judgment was made based on satellite images and Grossi's "in-depth understanding" of Iran's Fordo nuclear facility. The IAEA staff regularly inspect the Fordo nuclear facility in Iran.

Grossi said that we cannot determine the extent of underground damage. The extent of the damage may be serious or even quite serious, but neither us nor anyone else can currently say how severe the damage is. Grossi hopes that the IAEA inspectors "can return to the Fordo nuclear facility in Iran as soon as possible."

The Fordo nuclear facility is "well protected," with "independent power sources, and possibly backup generators." Grossi emphasized: "Therefore, we cannot directly say that the lack of external power will damage the centrifuges located there."

Grossi pointed out that "visible craters have appeared on Iran's main 60% uranium enrichment facility, the Fordo nuclear facility, indicating that the US used penetrating ammunition."

However, at present, including the IAEA, no one can assess the damage to the underground facilities of the Fordo nuclear facility.

Grossi said, "Armed attacks on nuclear facilities should never happen," and he expressed concern about the risk of radioactive material leakage.

The situation at Natanz is different; it is another nuclear facility that has been attacked by Israel and the US. According to Grossi, the surface part has been "clearly destroyed." As for the underground facilities where the centrifuges are located, "they suffered significant losses due to the combined effects of the explosion causing a lack of external power and its impact."

In Isfahan, "this area has been damaged and attacked for several days," Grossi said, adding that several buildings were hit.

Grossi expressed concern about the risk of "conflict escalation" at the UN Security Council meeting and called on all parties to "exercise maximum restraint."

In his video address to the Security Council, he said, "We have the opportunity to return to dialogue and diplomacy. If this window closes, violence and destruction may reach unimaginable levels, and the nuclear non-proliferation mechanism we know may collapse."

A member of Iran's Expediency Discernment Council said, "The outcome is still uncertain. Even if the nuclear facilities are destroyed, the outcome is still uncertain. Enriched uranium, nuclear technology, and politicians are still here."

Ali Shamkhani, a member of the Expediency Discernment Council of the Islamic Republic, said on X: "In the case of legitimate defense, the initiative in politics and action is now in the hands of those who can cleverly respond and avoid indiscriminate strikes. There are more surprises to come!"

The official news agency of Iran, IRNA, quoted Ali Akbar Velayati, an advisor to Iran's Supreme Leader Khamenei, as saying: "Any country or region used by the US military to attack Iran will be considered a legitimate target of the Iranian army."

The UN Secretary-General warned of the "dead end" of retaliatory actions at the emergency meeting of the UN Security Council. The emergency meeting of the UN Security Council opened at the UN headquarters in New York on Sunday evening. According to the report of the Iranian news agency IRNA, this meeting was requested by Iran to discuss the US attack on three of Iran's nuclear facilities.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said at the beginning of the meeting: "I have repeatedly condemned any military escalation in the Middle East. The people of this region cannot endure another cycle of destruction. However, we face the risk of falling into the dead end of a cycle of retaliation."

Paris, Berlin, and London urged Iran "not to take further actions that could destabilize the region." The leaders of France, Germany, and the UK urged Iran on Sunday "not to take further actions that could destabilize the region" in response to the US bombing of Iran's nuclear facilities. The leaders of the three countries added in a joint statement: "We call on Iran to engage in negotiations to reach an agreement addressing all issues related to its nuclear program. We are ready to coordinate with all parties to contribute to achieving this goal."

Original source: https://www.toutiao.com/article/1835671923369095/

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