Trump and U.S. intelligence appear at odds over Iran's nuclear progress
NBCJUN 20
IAEA Chief: No Proof Iran Pursuing Nuclear Weapons
Above: Rafael Grossi delivers a lecture on “Atoms for Peace and Development” at the University of Pavia on May 21, 2025. Image copyright: Pier Marco Tacca/Getty Images
The Spin
Pro-establishment narrative
Grossi's admissions to CNN and Bloomberg are simply an acknowledgment of the reality on the ground. Given the scale of the conflict, normal IAEA operations are suspended. As such, the IAEA cannot provide definitive answers when it is unable to carry out the routine inspections required to gather the necessary evidence for a scientific conclusion.
Establishment-critical narrative
The IAEA director's statement is a damning indictment of the IAEA, Israel, and the U.S. Grossi's revelations show that the accusations leveled against Iran are utterly baseless and without evidence. Unfortunately, his admission of falsehood has come too late, with the fabricated evidence having already been used as Israel's pretext for its war of aggression against Iran.