400kg of Uranium goes missing after US strikes on Iran's nuclear sites
A massive cache of enriched uranium—nearly 400 kilograms, enough to produce up to 10 nuclear weapons—has gone missing after recent US airstrikes on three of Iran's key nuclear facilities, US Vice President JD Vance confirmed in an interview with ABC News.
The uranium, enriched to 60%, was reportedly relocated just before the attacks and is now unaccounted for. 'We're going to work in the coming weeks to ensure that we do something with that fuel,' said Vance. 'That's one of the things we're going to have conversations with the Iranians about.'
The primary target of the US operation was Iran's heavily fortified Fordow nuclear facility, buried inside a mountain and previously considered resistant to missile attacks. Satellite imagery taken before the strike showed a convoy of 16 trucks near Fordow, prompting speculation that sensitive materials were evacuated. Post-strike images revealed significant destruction at Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan—but the convoy was gone.
Israeli officials told The New York Times that Iran likely moved uranium and vital equipment to a hidden site near Isfahan, sparking fears of a covert nuclear buildup.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which last inspected the sites a week before the strikes, has called for immediate access. 'This indispensable work must not be delayed,' warned IAEA Chief Rafael Grossi, addressing the UN Security Council.
The situation has raised global alarms. While Iran maintains its nuclear ambitions are peaceful, Israel claims Tehran is dangerously close to building a nuclear weapon. US assessments have shifted sharply in recent days—from a three-year timeline to warnings that Iran could go nuclear 'within weeks.'
The airstrikes, launched under 'Operation Midnight Hammer,' were a 37-hour mission involving B-2 Spirit bombers and decoy Tomahawk missiles. President Trump, who ordered the strike after intelligence indicated Israeli forces couldn't act alone, declared the mission a success. 'Iran's nuclear program has been completely and totally obliterated,' he stated.
However, the missing uranium now poses a fresh challenge. As the US prepares to re-engage in talks with Iran, uncertainty looms over the fate of the material—and the region.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
36 minutes ago
- The Hindu
U.S. strikes didn't ‘totally destroy' Iran's nuclear sites: U.S. intelligence report
A new U.S. intelligence report found that Iran's nuclear programme has been set back only a few months after a U.S. strike and was not 'completely and fully obliterated' as President Donald Trump has said, according to two people familiar with the early assessment. Also read: Israel-Iran conflict updates The early intelligence report issued by the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) on Monday (June 23, 2025) contradicts statements from Mr. Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about the status of Iran's nuclear facilities. The people were not authorised to address the matter publicly and spoke on condition of anonymity. According to the people, the report found that while the Saturday (June 21, 2025) strikes at the Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan nuclear sites did significant damage, they were not totally destroyed. The White House strongly pushed back on the assessment, calling it 'flat-out wrong.' 'The leaking of this alleged assessment is a clear attempt to demean President Trump and discredit the brave fighter pilots who conducted a perfectly executed mission to obliterate Iran's nuclear program,' White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement. Editorial: Man of war: On why Donald Trump is no peacemaker 'Everyone knows what happens when you drop fourteen 30,000 pound bombs perfectly on their targets: total obliteration,' she added. The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) declined to comment on the DIA assessment. ODNI coordinates the work of the nation's 18 intelligence agencies, including the DIA, which is the intelligence arm of the Defense Department, responsible for producing intelligence on foreign militaries and the capabilities of adversaries. The intelligence assessment was first reported by CNN on Tuesday (June 24, 2025).
NDTV
an hour ago
- NDTV
Qatar PM Persuaded Iran To Accept Ceasefire: Report
Qatar's prime minister persuaded Iran to agree to a US-proposed ceasefire with Israel after Iranian missiles targeted an American base near Doha, a source with knowledge of the talks said on Tuesday. Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani spoke to the Iranians at Washington's request following Monday's unprecedented attack on Qatari soil, the source told AFP. Qatar has good ties with both Iran and Washington and had been striving, alongside Oman, another Gulf state, to find diplomatic solutions to the conflict. "In the aftermath of the strikes on Al Udeid (military base), President (Donald) Trump told the Emir of Qatar Israel had signed off on an American ceasefire proposal," the source said. "The US president then asked that Qatar help get Iran to agree to a deal... Vice President JD Vance spoke to the Qatari prime minister... who persuaded Iran to agree to the proposal in a call with the Iranians," the added, requesting anonymity to discuss sensitive matters. Israel on Tuesday said it has agreed to the ceasefire, which was announced by Trump, while Iran's top security body boasted of compelling Israel to "unilaterally" cease fire. Since then, both sides have accused each other of violations. Monday's Iranian attack on the Al Udeid base in Qatar, the biggest US military facility in the Middle East, did not cause any casualties. It came in retaliation for US strikes on Iranian nuclear sites at the weekend. At a press conference on Tuesday, the Qatari prime minister called the Iranian attack "unacceptable" but said Qatar's response would be "diplomatic and legal". "The attack on the State of Qatar is an unacceptable act, especially that the State of Qatar has been making great diplomatic efforts in order to have the situation de-escalated," he said. Iran's foreign minister said Tuesday the attack on the US airbase in Qatar was not against its Gulf neighbour but an act of "self-defence". "The missile operation by the Iranian Armed Forces targeting Al-Udeid base was carried out within the framework of Iran's legitimate right to self-defence," Araghchi said in a phone call with the Qatari PM, who is also foreign minister. Sheikh Mohammed also urged Washington and Tehran to resume Oman-mediated talks on Iran's nuclear programme that were put on hold when Israel began its air strikes on Iran. He added that Qatar, a key mediator between Israel and Hamas, was working on resuming talks for a fresh ceasefire in the Gaza war. "We are still continuing our efforts, and God willing, we will try to look for an opportunity during the next two days for having indirect negotiations between the two parties," he said. "We hope that the Israeli side will not exploit the ceasefire with Iran to unleash what it wants to unleash on Gaza and continue its bombing of" the strip, Sheikh Mohammed added.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Netanyahu thanks Trump after ceasefire with Iran, hails ‘historic victory' - The Economic Times Video
Israeli PM Netanyahu delivered statement after Iran-Israel ceasefire said, "Dear citizens of Israel, during the 12 days of the operation Rising Lion, we achieved a historic victory, and this victory will stand for generations. We removed from upon us two immediate existential threats: the threat of annihilation by nuclear bombs and the threat of annihilation by 20,000 ballistic missiles. If we had not acted now, the State of Israel would soon be facing the danger of annihilation. But that did not happen, because at the decisive moment, we rose like a lion, stood tall, and our roar shook Tehran and echoed throughout the world. As our sages said: "And by wise counsel wage your war." The surprising opening strike of "Rising Lion" will be recorded in the annals of Israel's wars, and it will be studied by all the armies of the world."
