Iran may have moved 400kg of uranium out of nuclear sites before US bombed them

Despite U.S. President Donald Trump's address stating that U.S. air strikes "totally obliterated" Iran's nuclear enrichment facilities, according to The New York Times (NYT), officials say that they are unsure of the current state of Iran's near-weapons-grade uranium stockpile.

On Jun. 22, the U.S. launched airstrikes on three Iranian nuclear sites in Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan.

Trump stated that "the strikes were a spectacular military success" and that "Iran's key nuclear enrichment facilities have been completely and totally obliterated."

Not destroyed completely

According to NYT, the Fordo (or Fordow) uranium enrichment plant, which Iran built under a mountain, was the primary target and was hit by a dozen 30,000-pound  (13,607 kg) Massive Ordnance Penetrators, or "bunker buster" bombs.

The bomb is one of the U.S. arsenal's largest conventional bombs.

Based on satellite photographs, the bombs had made several deep holes in the rock.

Nonetheless, after conducting an initial analysis, the Israeli military determined that although the plant sustained serious damage, it might not be destroyed entirely, as Trump had claimed.

About 400kg of uranium was possibly transported out

According to The New York Times, two Israeli officials had also said that there was evidence that Iran had moved uranium and equipment from the site.

The officials stated there was evidence that the Iranians had removed about 400kg of 60 per cent enriched uranium as a response to Trump's repeated military threats.

The Uranium had then been placed inside another nuclear complex near Isfahan.

Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency Rafael Mariano Grossi said in a text message that the uranium had last been seen by his team of inspectors from the United Nations a week before Israel attacked Iran.

Grossi also shared during an interview with CNN on Jun. 22 that "Iran has made no secret that they have protected this material."

According to CNN, to make a nuclear bomb, uranium needs to be enriched to about 90 per cent, but Iran has only enriched its uranium to 60 per cent so far.

Top image from The White House on Facebook.