IAEA director general Rafael Grossi once again stressed “armed attacks on nuclear facilities should never take place,” saying such attacks can lead to radiation that extends beyond a targeted state’s borders, Al Jazeera reports.

“I therefore again call on maximum restraint. Military escalation not only threatens lives, it also delays us from taking a diplomatic path,” he said while speaking at the IAEA board of governors meeting.

“To achieve the long-term assurance that Iran does not acquire a nuclear weapon… we must return to negotiations,” Grossi said. If the diplomatic path fails “violence and destruction could reach unimaginable levels,” he added.

“I’m ready to travel immediately to Iran. We need to keep working together despite existing differences.”