IAEA loses track of Iran's stockpile of enriched uranium amid Israeli attack. Does it pose security threat?

As Israel continues to target Iran's nuclear sites, the United Nations nuclear watchdog International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) says it has lost track of Iran’s near-bomb-grade stockpile of enriched uranium. The IAEA inspectors are unable to do their work due to the ongoing military assault by Israel on Iran, including on the nuke sites. Speaking to Bloomberg, IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi said "inspections, no normal activity can take place" in the wake of the attack.

When asked about Iran’s 409 kilograms (902 pounds) of highly-enriched uranium - capable of producing 10 nuclear warheads - whereabouts Grossi said, “I’m not so sure" and added “In a time of war, all nuclear sites are closed. No inspections, no normal activity can take place.”

The uranium stockpile is supposed to be secured at an underground facility at Isfahan under an International Atomic Energy Agency seal, according to the report.

Losing track of existing inventories raises the risk of Iran further enriching the Uranium stockpile to weapons grade.

Before Israel launched attack on Iran, the IAEA was conducting more than one visit a day to Iranian nuclear sites. And now with no inspection being carried out dur the the attack Iran hasn't informed the agency about the measures it has taken to protect its stockpile from attack.

“We haven’t been informed of anything in detail,” Grossi said to the media outlet adding, “We don’t know what these protective additional measures to be.

Iranian missiles hit hospital in Israel

Meanwhile, in a fresh barrage of missile attacks by Tehran on Thursday (June19), the main hospital in southern Israel suffered “extensive damage”, said officials. The Soroka Hospital in Beersheba has urged patients not to come for treatment following the attack. Several people have been injured, though the exact number is not yet known. The hospital, meanwhile, is assessing the extent of damage and the number of people wounded.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has condemned the strike and said Tehran would pay "a heavy price" for the attack.

Taking to X Netanyahu said, "This morning, Iran's terrorist dictators fired missiles at Soroka Hospital in Beer Sheva and at civilians in the centre of the country. We will make the tyrants in Tehran pay a heavy price," Netanyahu said in a post in Hebrew.