An Israeli official has raised concerns that Iran could potentially recover enriched uranium from one of the nuclear sites targeted by U.S. strikes last month, despite claims by former U.S. President Donald Trump that the facilities were completely destroyed.
Speaking to American journalists, the senior Israeli official who requested anonymity revealed that intelligence suggests some of Iran’s enriched uranium remains buried beneath the Isfahan facility, one of three sites struck during “Operation Midnight Hammer” on June 22. The strikes, launched via submarine-launched cruise missiles, also targeted Fordo and Natanz, key nodes in Iran’s nuclear program.
The official noted that recovering the buried uranium would be extremely difficult and warned that any such attempt by Iran would likely prompt renewed Israeli military action. Still, he emphasized that the Israeli government believes Iran’s nuclear program has been significantly set back by at least two years.
Iran, for its part, has denied pursuing nuclear weapons and insists that its uranium enrichment activities are purely for peaceful energy purposes.
President Trump and members of his administration have asserted that the strikes “obliterated” Iran’s nuclear infrastructure. “Operation Midnight Hammer totally obliterated Iran’s nuclear facilities,” White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly said, calling the mission a “major success” that made the world safer.
However, U.S. intelligence assessments have been more restrained. A leaked Defense Intelligence Agency report concluded that while the three sites suffered heavy damage, they were not entirely destroyed. CIA Director John Ratcliffe said that the destruction of Iran’s only facility for producing metallic uranium had dealt a major blow to its nuclear ambitions.
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief Rafael Grossi echoed that sentiment, telling CBS that the sites were “destroyed to an important degree,” but “parts are still standing.” He added, “One cannot claim that everything has disappeared.”
Iranian President Mahmoud Pezeshkian, speaking to U.S. commentator Tucker Carlson, admitted the facilities were “severely damaged” and inaccessible, making it difficult to determine the full extent of the destruction.
The situation remains fluid as global powers monitor Iran’s next move amid heightened regional tensions.
