Enriched uranium was at Iran sites during US strikes: Israeli official

New Delhi,UPDATED: Jul 11, 2025 03:38 IST

An Israeli official has claimed that large stockpiles of Iran’s enriched uranium remained at three key nuclear sites when they were targeted by US strikes last month.

The senior Israeli source said intelligence indicated that the enriched uranium had not been moved from the Fordo, Natanz, and Isfahan facilities prior to the strikes — and hasn't been relocated since, according to the Times of Israel.

“The stockpiles of some 400 kilograms (880 pounds) of uranium enriched to 60 percent had not moved,” the official stated.

The official added that while the uranium at Isfahan may still be accessible to the Iranians, extracting or transporting it would pose logistical and technical challenges. “The Iranians might still be able to gain access to the enriched uranium at Isfahan,” the official said, “but it would be very difficult to remove it.”

Meanwhile, Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu has called for vigilance against Iran’s nuclear ambitions, likening the Islamic Republic to a "cancer" that must be continuously monitored and checked by both Israel and the United States. Netanyahu's statement came during a interview with Fox Business anchor Maria Bartiromo on Mornings with Maria during his visit to the United States.

“They're afraid,” Netanyahu said of Iran’s leadership, following Israel’s recent Operation Rising Lion. “They know they felt the might – the might of America, the might of Israel and the combined might of Israel and America. It's made an impact, not only in the Middle East, it's made an impact around the world. Everybody sees this."

"I don’t think they’ll move forward right now with their nuclear program,” he said. “But you have to understand—this is not a one-time strike, one-time operation, and it’s done. You have to treat this like cancer. You have to monitor it constantly, treat it aggressively, and act before it spreads,” Netanyahu said.

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