Iran relocates enriched uranium before US attacks

(MENAFN) Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist Seymour Hersh reported that last month’s US airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities failed to destroy the country’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium, citing sources within the US government. The operation, which involved seven B-2 ‘Spirit’ bombers dropping massive bunker-buster bombs, was not expected to completely wipe out Iran’s nuclear program, according to one official.

Sources indicated that key centrifuges may have survived, and approximately 400 pounds of uranium enriched to 60% had been relocated prior to the strike. The US bombs reportedly could not penetrate deep enough to reach the centrifuge chambers. The absence of radioactive traces at key sites, particularly Fordow and Isfahan, suggested that the uranium stockpile had been moved ahead of the attack.

Despite this, US officials cited by Hersh believe the strike inflicted significant damage on another Iranian nuclear facility near Isfahan, which could delay Tehran’s nuclear ambitions by about a year or more. The goal was to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapon in the near future, buying time and creating uncertainty about their capabilities.

President Donald Trump claimed the attack “completely and totally obliterated” Iran’s nuclear program, and CIA Director John Ratcliffe stated that several critical sites were destroyed and would require years to rebuild. However, intercepted communications and reports from outlets like the Washington Post suggest that Tehran expected limited damage and that the actual impact was less severe.

The strikes were part of a joint US-Israeli campaign launched in mid-June, with Israel targeting Iranian sites it claimed were nearing nuclear weapon capability. Hersh also noted that Israel stood to benefit immediately from the US attack. While Israel officially maintains ambiguity regarding its nuclear arsenal, reports estimate it may possess up to 90 nuclear warheads.

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