Fate of Iran's enriched uranium: Did Iran move its uranium before US strike on Fordow?

Report by Wissam Nasrallah, English adaptation by Yasmine Jaroudi

The U.S. struck Iran's heavily fortified Fordow nuclear facility, reportedly using the most powerful bunker-busting bombs in existence.

What happened to the more than 400 kilograms of highly enriched uranium stored at the site?

While U.S. President Donald Trump declared the targeted nuclear sites had been "completely destroyed," his Secretary of State Marco Rubio acknowledged uncertainty, saying no one could confirm whether Iran had moved its uranium stockpile before the strike. 

For its part, Tehran insists its enriched material is safe.

Satellite imagery taken a day before the attack showed 16 trucks lined up along the access road to Fordow, along with bulldozers positioned at the facility's entrance. 

According to The Washington Post, these may have been used to either transport sensitive material or seal the underground tunnels as a containment precaution. If the uranium was moved, it likely happened before the tunnels were filled in.

The highly enriched uranium in question was believed to be stored across three main sites: Fordow, Natanz, and tunnels near Isfahan. When cooled and processed, this material is typically stored in large cylindrical containers resembling industrial water heaters.

The U.S. bombardment targeted all three locations, carried out in coordination with Israel. 

Washington's concern stems from Iran's stockpile of uranium enriched to 60% purity—a level dangerously close to weapons-grade—which experts say could yield enough fissile material for several nuclear bombs within days, should Tehran choose that path.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claims he has intelligence on the precise locations of Iran's enriched uranium. He also fears that Iran may have secretly relocated its stockpile to undisclosed locations and set up advanced centrifuge systems to continue enrichment.

The Financial Times underscored that if Iran had a uranium conversion line in place and if enrichment had reached 90% purity before the U.S. strike, the regime could have produced enough fissile material for two nuclear warheads within eight or nine days. The report draws parallels to past clandestine nuclear programs in India, Pakistan, and North Korea that advanced despite global surveillance.

The U.S. has undoubtedly damaged key Iranian facilities, but as of now, the fate of the 400+ kilograms of highly enriched uranium remains unknown and unresolved.