France, June 26 -- The head of the UN's nuclear watchdog says Iran's nuclear sites have suffered major damage in recent Israeli airstrikes - but the country's atomic programme is not completely destroyed. Rafael Mariano Grossi, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), told RFI he wants inspectors to return to Iran quickly, and warned that cutting ties with the agency could trigger a fresh crisis.

RFI: After 12 days of war between Israel and Iran, can you tell us if Iran's nuclear programme has been destroyed?

Rafael Mariano Grossi: I don't know. I think "destroyed" is going too far. But the programme has taken serious damage. The attacks that began on 13 June caused major physical destruction at three sites - N...