Where is Iran's near-bomb-grade uranium? Tehran says removed, Israel claims has ‘intel’, US clueless after bombing sites

Whereabouts of Iran's 60 per cent enriched uranium: Where is Iran's near-weapons grade uranium, enriched up to 60 per cent, close to the 90 per cent required to build nuclear bombs? This question is lingering a day after the US claimed to have struck key Iranian nuclear sites on Sunday (June 22). Iran is thought to possess up to 400 kg of uranium enriched up to 60 per cent.
Conflicting reports are emerging on the status of this material, which could be dangerous, and could help Iran resume its programme when the dust settles. Here is what we know about the current status of Iranian nuclear material.

Did trucks remove Iranian nuclear material?

That would appear to be the case if one goes by some Western media reports. The Newsweek, for instance, reported on satellite images that allegedly showed trucks in motion in the areas attacked by the US, much ahead of the bombings. The report claimed that 16 cargo trucks were spotted near a road to the Fordow nuclear site's tunnel entrance on June 19, way before the US attacks. Citing the satellite imaging company Maxar, it said most of these trucks moved a kilometre northwest of the access road by June 20. The same day, new trucks and bulldozers appeared close to the main entrance. One truck, Maxar said, was very near the main tunnel entrance.

Iran claims nuclear sites were evacuated, Israel has ‘interesting intel’

The truck movement reports came amid Iranian claims that the nuclear material had been moved ahead of the US bombing. The state media reports claimed that the enriched uranium had been moved to a ‘safe location’.

Amid continuing speculation, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu indicated that Israel has ‘interesting intel’ on the Iranian nuclear material. Israeli media outlets like the Times of Israel reported, citing Bibi, that Israel knows the ‘whereabouts of Iran’s 400 kg of 60 per cent enriched uranium’. He did not go into details.

But wait, was the nuclear material not in Fordow?

Fordow, the under-mountain site believed to host a uranium enrichment plant, was the main target of the US strike. Satellite images showed some holes after the 30,000-pound bunker-buster bombs, formally known as Massive Ordnance Penetrators, hit the site.

But according to a New York Times report, the 60 per cent enriched uranium was not in Fordow. It was stored somewhere deep in the nuclear site of Isfahan. These are kept in small casks that can fit in trunks of around 10 cars, it said.

UN nuclear watchdog IAEAs' chief Rafael Grossi said on CNN on Sunday that “Iran has made no secret that they have protected this material.” And he answered in the affirmative when asked by NYT if the stockpile has been removed.

US officials are still clueless about Iran's enriched uranium stockpile

As per the NYT report, US officials have 'conceded' they do not know where Iran's nuclear stockpile is. The report noted that US Vice President JD Vance and IAEA's Grossi have both acknowledged this.

Vance told the news channel ABC that the US, in the coming weeks, will "do something with that fuel.

This contravenes US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's claims, amplifying Trump's remarks that the US bunker-busting bombs “completely and totally obliterated” Iranian nuclear programme.

What did US really achieve with the Operation Midnight Hammer strike on Iran?

So, was it ‘mission unaccomplished’ for the US, despite President Donald Trump's claims that the weekend strikes under Operation Midnight Hammer ‘obliterated’ the Iranian nuclear programme?

US and Israeli analysis is that the Fordow site was seriously damaged but not completely destroyed.

In fact, Hegseth, as well as the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Dan Caine, were not as hyperbolic as Trump. In remarks on Sunday, they said "severe damage and destruction" was caused by the US attacks that used B2 bombers and submarine-launched Tomahawk missiles targeting three nuclear sites, possibly in Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan.

How dangerous is the 60 per cent enriched uranium with Iran?

Technically, 60 per cent uranium is near-bomb grade, and can create up to 10 atomic weapons of some impact.

More than that, as noted in the NYT report, this stockpile could become a bargaining chip for Iran in future negotiations on its nuclear programme. Note that Iran has made it very clear that it will not agree to zero uranium enrichment.

And, with the threat of Iran exiting the Non-Proliferation Treaty, it might even free the country from obligations not to develop a nuclear weapon.