Israel thinks Iran could retrieve enriched uranium from location bombed by US

2025-07-12 07:25:30

(MENAFN) Israel believes that despite recent US airstrikes on Iranian nuclear sites, enriched uranium stockpiles at one facility were not destroyed, potentially allowing Tehran to recover the nuclear material, according to a senior Israeli official cited by the AP.

US President Donald Trump previously claimed that the joint US-Israeli strikes on Iran’s Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan nuclear facilities on June 22 had “completely and totally obliterated” Tehran’s nuclear program. CIA Director John Ratcliffe supported this, telling lawmakers that key sites were destroyed and would require years to rebuild. Iran insists its nuclear program is strictly civilian and not aimed at weapon development.

Israeli assessments indicate that enriched uranium stored deep underground at the Isfahan site is “potentially retrievable,” though a high-ranking official noted that accessing the material would be a difficult and complex task for Iran.

Unlike Fordow and Natanz, which were targeted by US “bunker-buster” bombs, Isfahan was reportedly struck only by Tomahawk missiles. Israel also rejects reports suggesting Iran moved its enriched uranium to secret locations before the attacks, maintaining that the material was still present at the targeted sites.

US Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) officials, involved in designing the specialized bombs, say they are unsure whether the munitions reached the intended depths underground.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian told US journalist Tucker Carlson that Tehran has been unable to access its nuclear facilities following what he described as “unlawful attacks” by the US, but admitted that many pieces of equipment and parts of the sites have been heavily damaged.

Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov offered Moscow’s help as a mediator between Tehran and Washington if nuclear negotiations resume, which had stalled after the US strikes. Russia condemned the US and Israeli attacks, warning they undermine the global nuclear non-proliferation regime.

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