The United Nations' top nuclear watchdog, IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi, told CBS News that Iran still has the technical ability to restart its nuclear program, even though U.S. military strikes dented the program.

Just days before the U.S. strikes on Iran, Tehran was hinting a nuclear deal with Washington was a possibility.

For decades, Iran’s nuclear ambitions have been a source of concern for the US and its allies. The fear is that Tehran could eventually build an atomic weapon, an eventuality that Israel views as an existential threat.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General, Rafael Mariano Grossi, said that he does not believe that Iran’s nuclear program can be eliminated solely by military action. “I would agree with that.

NPR's Leila Fadel asks Iran expert Ali Vaez of the International Crisis Group about Iran's nuclear capabilities before and after U.S. and Israeli attacks.

The lesson that Tehran will take away from this conflict is that it needs an ironclad deterrent in the form of a nuclear weapon.