Rafael Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), has confirmed that documents allegedly obtained by Tehran may indeed pertain to Israel’s Soreq Nuclear Research Center. This marks the first official recognition by an international body of a potential leak of sensitive information concerning Israel’s nuclear infrastructure, reports Baltimore Chronicle, citing Сursorinfo.
During a press conference in Vienna on June 9, Grossi stated that the “alleged materials likely concern Soreq — an Israeli nuclear research facility under the IAEA’s oversight.” He emphasized, however, that the agency does not have access to other, more sensitive parts of Israel’s nuclear infrastructure, such as the Dimona facility, which international assessments consider to be used for military nuclear purposes.
The Israeli government has so far refrained from issuing any official comments, but the topic is already being actively discussed among Israeli experts. According to specialists, a leak of this kind could significantly damage the country’s reputation and pose a threat to national security. Soreq is one of the few sites in Israel whose activities are partially visible to the IAEA. Experts suggest that compromising this facility might enable Iran to replicate key technological methodologies used by Israel in the nuclear field.
According to Iranian officials, they have obtained “thousands of pages of documents, including materials related to Israel, the U.S., and Europe.” Iranian Intelligence Minister Esmail Khatib claimed these files were acquired through “penetration” operations and access to various sources. He promised to publish some of these materials soon but did not clarify how exactly they were obtained.
Israel does not officially acknowledge possessing nuclear weapons, though it is widely believed to be the only Middle Eastern country with a nuclear arsenal. Any leak of information about its nuclear infrastructure — particularly in the current climate of renewed tensions with Iran — could further destabilize the region.
Some analysts interpret Iran’s actions as a countermeasure to Israel’s 2018 operation, when Mossad agents reportedly removed a large archive from Tehran that revealed details of the Islamic Republic’s covert nuclear program. Iran now appears to be attempting a mirrored response, though no conclusive evidence has yet been presented.
Amid the rising tensions, Western nations are discussing the possibility of declaring Iran in breach of its obligations to the IAEA. If the agency’s Board of Governors adopts such a resolution, the matter could be forwarded to the United Nations Security Council — a move that may pave the way for the reimposition of international sanctions on Tehran.
For Israel, this situation represents not only a security threat but also a serious challenge to its policy of nuclear ambiguity. Should Iran indeed have gained access to strategic information about Soreq’s operations, this could undermine Israel’s military deterrence and cast doubt on its technological edge in the nuclear domain.
Earlier we wrote that IAEA reports new series of explosions at Zaporizhzhia NPP.