Following US airstrikes on key nuclear enrichment sites in Iran, serious concerns are emerging about the whereabouts of Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile.
US Vice President J.D. Vance revealed that almost 400 kilograms of uranium enriched to 60% — a significant portion of Iran’s nuclear assets — may now be buried under the rubble of the attacked facilities.
Speaking on Fox News, Vance stated, “Our goal was to bury the uranium, and I do think the uranium is buried,” emphasizing the U.S. strategy was aimed not only at crippling Iran’s enrichment capacity but also at physically eliminating the stockpile to delay weaponization potential. While the material falls short of the 92% enrichment needed for weapons-grade uranium, experts agree that the 60% purity level puts it within striking distance.
The International Atomic Energy Agency has not been able to confirm the status of the stockpile. Its Director General, Rafael Grossi, said damage assessments at Iran’s Fordow facility — deeply embedded underground — are currently impossible due to access restrictions and limited information.
Open-source satellite imagery taken shortly after the strikes shows increased activity at the Fordow facility, including about a dozen trucks parked outside. This raised questions about whether Iran may have anticipated the attack and moved parts of its nuclear stockpile and equipment.
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This theory gained traction after two Israeli officials told The New York Times that Iran had shifted a significant quantity of enriched uranium prior to the strikes. Tehran has publicly stated that the targeted facilities did not house materials capable of causing radiation, attempting to downplay the strategic impact of the attacks.
Vice President Vance also spoke with NBC, clarifying the U.S. position. “We’re not at war with Iran… We’re at war with Iran’s nuclear program,” he asserted, adding that the purpose of the strikes was not regime change, but strategic delay.
He declined to confirm whether all three targeted sites — including the Fordow, Natanz, and Arak facilities — were completely destroyed, citing sensitive intelligence. However, he stressed that the operation had “substantially delayed” Iran’s progress toward developing a nuclear weapon, which was the core objective of the intervention.
Global watchdogs and security analysts remain cautious, noting that unless the uranium is physically verified as destroyed or accounted for, uncertainty will persist — fueling regional and international tensions.
HindustanTimes
