Nuclear Uncertainty
Iran Moved Enriched Uranium Before US Airstrikes
A stockpile of 60% enriched uranium reportedly vanished before US bombers targeted Iranian nuclear sites, according to sources cited by the legendary journalist
Journalist Seymour Hersh reports that Iran successfully relocated a key stockpile of highly enriched uranium ahead of recent US airstrikes on its nuclear infrastructure. Citing unnamed US officials, Hersh claims that at least 200 kilograms (about 400 pounds) of uranium enriched to 60% purity are currently unaccounted for.
Despite the scale of the operation, involving seven B-2 Spirit stealth bombers equipped with 30,000-pound bunker-busting munitions, sources admitted the mission was never expected to completely dismantle Iran’s nuclear program.
“The centrifuges may have survived, and 400 pounds of enriched uranium are missing,” one official reportedly told Hersh. “The bombs couldn’t be counted on to penetrate the centrifuge chambers - they’re buried too deep.”
No Radiation, No Uranium
Following the attack, intelligence assessments noted a surprising lack of radioactive traces at the targeted facilities. That absence led officials to believe that Iran had preemptively moved its uranium stores before the bombing, particularly from the heavily fortified Fordow site, built deep within a mountain.
Even with the apparent relocation, US officials quoted by Hersh said that the exact whereabouts of the uranium may not matter as much as the damage inflicted on a separate nuclear site near Isfahan, which they believe could delay Iran’s weaponization timeline.
While President Donald Trump hailed the operation as having “completely and totally obliterated” Iran’s nuclear capabilities, behind closed doors, officials have acknowledged the outcome may be less decisive.
“The point was to buy a year or two - a window where Iran would be unable or unwilling to try again,” a source told Hersh.
CIA Director John Ratcliffe reportedly told lawmakers that several facilities were rendered unusable for years, though the Washington Post later reported that intercepted Iranian communications showed that Tehran had anticipated worse and that the actual damage was relatively limited.
Israel’s Role and Strategic Gain
The operation was reportedly part of a broader US-Israeli military campaign, launched in mid-June to thwart Iran’s nuclear ambitions. Israel carried out parallel strikes, citing intelligence that Iran was approaching nuclear breakout capability.
According to Hersh, Israel was the most immediate strategic beneficiary of the operation. Though Jerusalem does not officially acknowledge its own nuclear arsenal, estimates by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) suggest the country may possess up to 90 nuclear warheads.