An Israeli senior official told Reuters on Thursday that intelligence reports confirm Iran's enriched uranium stockpiles remain in their original locations at Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan, despite recent U.S. and Israeli airstrikes targeting these facilities.
The official noted that while Iranian personnel might be able to access the Isfahan site, moving any nuclear material from the facility would be extremely difficult due to the extent of the destruction.
The strikes have raised questions about whether Iran’s near-weapons-grade uranium was destroyed, buried, or secretly relocated.
According to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), over 400 kg of uranium enriched to 60% purity—close to the 90% needed for weapons-grade—is sufficient to build up to nine nuclear bombs if further enriched.
Following the coordinated strikes, former U.S. President Donald Trump claimed the targeted nuclear sites had been “erased,” using advanced bunker-busting munitions. The Pentagon later estimated the attack delayed Iran’s nuclear progress by at least two years, a claim contradicted by some leaked U.S. intelligence suggesting only a few months of disruption.
France’s foreign intelligence chief Nicolas Lerner told LCI that only a small portion of Iran’s highly enriched uranium may have been destroyed, while the rest remains unaccounted for. He stressed that while Paris has indicators of storage locations, they cannot be confirmed without the IAEA’s return to Iran.
Lerner emphasized that the entire nuclear chain—from enrichment to weaponization—had been significantly damaged, but urged caution, stating:
“No intelligence agency can deliver a full and accurate assessment within hours after such strikes.”
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