Did Iran Outsmart the Pentagon? 200kg of Enriched Uranium Missing After Airstrikes

Iran Moved Enriched Uranium Before U.S. Airstrikes, Seymour Hersh Reports

Over 200kg of highly enriched uranium reportedly “missing,” raising fresh concerns over the effectiveness of the operation.

Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative journalist Seymour Hersh claims that Iran successfully relocated a significant portion of its enriched uranium stockpile before a high-profile U.S. airstrike on its nuclear facilities last month.

Citing U.S. intelligence sources, Hersh reports that the American strikes — which involved seven B-2 Spirit bombers dropping 30,000-pound “bunker buster” bombs — failed to neutralize a key component of Iran’s nuclear program: approximately 400 pounds (over 200kg) of uranium enriched to 60%. That material is now unaccounted for.

According to one U.S. official quoted in the report, the bombs “could not be assured to penetrate the centrifuge chamber... too deep,” suggesting Iran’s underground enrichment facilities, such as the heavily fortified Fordow complex, may have withstood the assault.

In the aftermath of the attack, there were no significant signs of radioactive contamination at the targeted sites — a strong indication that the uranium stockpile had been moved in advance, Hersh notes. Both the Fordow and Isfahan sites were primary targets.

Despite the failure to hit the uranium stockpile directly, U.S. officials reportedly downplayed its significance. Hersh quotes one source as saying the primary goal was to delay Iran’s nuclear ambitions by at least a year, buying the West “a couple of years of respite and an uncertain future.”

President Donald Trump, in the days following the strikes, declared that the operation had “completely and totally obliterated” Iran’s nuclear capabilities. CIA Director John Ratcliffe echoed that sentiment, telling lawmakers that the damage was extensive and would take years for Iran to repair.

However, reporting by The Washington Post suggests intercepted communications from Iranian leadership indicated surprise at the limited impact of the strikes — contradicting public U.S. claims of overwhelming success.

The operation was part of a broader joint American-Israeli military campaign launched in mid-June. Israeli airstrikes accompanied the U.S. bombing runs, with the Israel Defense Forces asserting that Iran was nearing nuclear weapon capability.

Hersh points to Israel as the “immediate beneficiary” of the campaign. While West Jerusalem has never officially confirmed possessing nuclear weapons, estimates from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) suggest Israel may maintain up to 90 nuclear warheads.