'Nothing taken out': Trump on Iran shifting uranium from nuclear sites ahead of US strikes; says 'too dangerous to move'
US President Donald Trump on Thursday dismissed all reports and claims that Iran had moved uranium stock pile from its nuclear sites ahead of the strikes from America.
Calling it "too dangerous to move", Trump said in a post on Truth Social, "The cars and small trucks at the site were those of concrete workers trying to cover up the top of the shafts.
Nothing was taken out of facility. Would take too long, too dangerous, and very heavy and hard to move!"
US defense secretary Pete Hegseth also denied having any intelligence over the same and said, "I'm not aware of any intelligence that I've reviewed that says things were not where they were supposed to be, moved or otherwise."
Driving the news
The impact of the US strikes came under radar after several experts claimed that Iran may have relocated its stockpile of near weapons-grade highly enriched uranium from the Fordo facility, potentially concealing it along with other nuclear materials at undisclosed sites unknown to Israel, the US, and UN nuclear inspectors.
Satellite imagery from Maxar Technologies revealed 16 trucks positioned outside Fordo enrichment facility ahead of the US airstrike. The site, built deep within a mountain, has long been seen as resistant to most missile attacks.
According to Israeli officials, the trucks were likely used to transport uranium out of the facility prior to the bombing. Two Israeli intelligence sources told The New York Times that Iran, anticipating strikes, had removed approximately 400 kilograms (around 880 pounds) of uranium enriched to 60% purity.
This material, previously stored at a nuclear complex near Isfahan, was reportedly contained in small casks that could fit into standard vehicles.
Rafael Grossi, chief of the UN's nuclear watchdog, said that the last time IAEA inspectors saw the nuclear fuel was before Israel's airstrikes began. Following the attacks, Iranian authorities halted all inspections, citing the wartime situation.
The current whereabouts of the uranium remain unknown, and Iranian authorities have neither confirmed nor denied the reports. However, a senior Iranian official told Reuters on Sunday that the bulk of Iran's 60% highly enriched uranium was relocated to a secret location ahead of the US strike.
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