U.N. Nuclear Watchdog Estimates Most of Iran’s Uranium Is Intact – but Blocked from Verifying

Rafael Grossi, Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said on Saturday that his agency believes “the majority” of Iran’s stockpile of near-weapons-grade uranium survived bombing runs from Israel and the United States in June. Grossi said during an interview with a Swiss newspaper that the IAEA believes most of the uranium is still stored in Iran’s three primary nuclear facilities at Isfahan, Fordow, and Natanz. All three facilities were hit by devastating airstrikes from the United States in June.

The latest IAEA report estimated Iran has about 400 kilograms of uranium enriched to 60 percent purity, which is far beyond any conceivable civilian use, but just shy of weapons-grade material. The IAEA has been asking Iran to account for the uranium ever since the June airstrikes, but the Iranians have not been very cooperative. “Will we get access to this uranium? And what will happen to it then? Will Iran want to keep it, will it reduce its enrichment levels again, or will Iran move this uranium abroad? There are many options,” Grossi said on Friday. 

Iranian officials, including Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, have said that while U.S. strikes inflicted severe damage on Isfahan, Fordow, and Natanz, most of the uranium already enriched by Iran survived the strikes, and is buried in the rubble of the facilities. The Washington-based Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS) reported last week that satellite imagery suggests Iran is beginning to excavate the tunnels leading into the buried Isfahan complex. (Read More)