The Middle East tension deepened over the weekend after the US launched strikes on three key Iranian nuclear facilities. America revealed details of its “Operation Midnight Hammer”, attacking the sites using B-2 bombers and bunker buster bombs. Amid this, IAEA chief Rafael Grossi cautioned the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) about the precarious situation in Iran. During an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council on Sunday, Grossi emphasized the need for a diplomatic solution.

The International Atomic Energy Agency Director General also urged all parties to return to the negotiating table, and let IAEA inspectors assess Iranian nuclear sites – Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan after Operation Midnight Hammer. “Iran, Israel, and the Middle East need peace, and there is a path for diplomacy. We must return to the negotiating table,” Grossi said.

The IAEA Chief took to X on Monday, stating, “IAEA inspectors are in Iran, and they must do their job, including verifying 400kg of uranium enriched to 60%. For that, we need a cessation of hostilities. Any arrangement requires establishing the facts on the ground, which can be done only through IAEA inspections.”

Additionally, Grossi issued a stark warning, highlighting the situation’s seriousness, citing the possible escalation of the conflict. He said, “If the window for diplomacy closes, violence and destruction could reach unthinkable levels, and the global non-proliferation regime could crumble and fall.”

“The nuclear non-proliferation regime that has underpinned international security for more than half a century is on the line. The dramatic events in Iran have become even more serious with last night’s bombardments and the potential widening of the conflict. We have a window of opportunity to return to dialogue and diplomacy. 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,” ANI quoted him the IAEA chief said.