MOSCOW, July 9. /TASS/. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) did not record any signs indicating Iran’s preparations for acquiring nuclear weapons, the agency’s Director General Rafael Grossi said in an interview with Poland’s Rzeczpospolita newspaper.

"The fact that Iran is capable of obtaining nuclear weapons and the fact that it possesses them are two different things. The data that we provided was really sensitive because it pointed to certain potential for the creation of a nuclear bomb. However, this doesn’t mean that there is reason to believe that the potential will be realized," Grossi said, as cited by the paper. He stressed that even if Tehran had such intentions, doing so would have taken months, if not longer.

According to the IAEA chief, the Iranians would have to process enriched uranium into metal — a process they have not even initiated. Besides, it would require creating a number of very complicated systems, which, above all, have to be small enough to fit into a nuclear warhead, Grossi explained.

He declined to assess Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision to attack Iran’s nuclear facilities, saying that the IAEA’s mission was to establish facts and report them. However, Grossi reiterated that the issues related to Iran’s nuclear program could not be resolved through force.

Overnight into June 13, Israel launched a military operation against Iran. Less than 24 hours later, Tehran retaliated. Nine days later, in the early hours of June 22, US jets targeted three Iranian nuclear sites, effectively entering the conflict. The following evening, Tehran carried out a missile strike on Al Udeid, the largest US military base in the region, located in Qatar. According to US officials, there were no casualties or significant damage. US President Donald Trump later announced that Israel and Iran had agreed to a complete ceasefire. The truce took effect on June 24.