The US warned Iran to stay away from nuclear sites bombed in recent strikes, to prevent Tehran from recovering enriched uranium possibly buried beneath the rubble.
American and Israeli intelligence are closely monitoring the Fordow and Isfahan facilities, where uranium stockpiles may have been stored prior to the attacks, Kan News reports.
A senior Israeli official told Kan that if Iran attempts to extract the uranium, “it’s up to the US” to decide how to respond.
An Israeli source told Al Hadath that most of Iran’s enriched uranium is now trapped under the wreckage of nuclear facilities. “We know where it is,” the official said. Israel avoided a direct strike on the buried stockpiles to prevent an environmental disaster, he added.
However, according to earlier assessments, small amounts of uranium may have been relocated before the strikes. The full extent of Iran’s remaining nuclear materials is still unclear.
But despite the ambiguity, Israeli officials say the broader objective was met: Crippling Iran’s nuclear weapons program.
Israel believes the path to weaponization has been effectively blocked not only by the destruction of key nuclear sites, but also through the targeted killings of more than 10 Iranian scientists.
In total, the US and Israel reportedly hit eight major nuclear facilities, with severe damage reported at Natanz. Damage assessments are still ongoing regarding Fordow and Isfahan, as more intelligence pours in.
