IAEA chief: Despite Iran attacks on Israel, no one should hit Tehran nuke facilities

Rafael Grossi warns: War would mean 'catastrophic consequences'

IAEA chief: War would 'erase' Tehran's nuclear advances in years

The head of the UN's nuclear watchdog warned on Thursday that any military strike on Iran's nuclear facilities would have "catastrophic consequences" and would erase years of progress in curbing its nuclear program.

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director-General Rafael Grossi made the comments in an interview with the Financial Times, amid heightened tensions between Iran and Israel.

Iran has been accused of carrying out a series of attacks on Israeli targets in recent weeks, including a drone strike on an Israeli-managed oil tanker in the Gulf of Oman.

Israel has vowed to retaliate, and some Israeli officials have suggested that they may target Iran's nuclear facilities.

But Grossi warned that such a move would be "a very, very serious mistake."

"It would be a catastrophe," he said. "It would erase the work of many, many years."

Grossi said that Iran's nuclear program is now "much more advanced" than it was before the 2015 nuclear deal, which was designed to curb Iran's nuclear ambitions.

He said that Iran has now accumulated a significant stockpile of enriched uranium, and that it is enriching uranium to a higher level than it was before the deal.

Grossi also warned that a military strike on Iran's nuclear facilities could lead to a wider war.

"It would be a very dangerous situation," he said. "It could escalate into a much larger conflict."

Grossi called on all sides to exercise restraint and to work towards a diplomatic solution to the crisis.

"We need to find a way to de-escalate this situation," he said. "We need to find a way to get back to the negotiating table."