Iran's Hidden Uranium: 900 Pounds Go Missing, IAEA Raises Nuclear Red Alert

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has issued an urgent alert after confirming that nearly 900 pounds (over 400 kilograms) of potentially enriched uranium from Iran is currently unaccounted for. IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi acknowledged that the agency "does not know where nearly 900 pounds of potentially enriched uranium is located,” following Iran’s claim that it moved the material to protect it ahead of Israeli and U.S. airstrikes.

The IAEA confirmed that the Natanz nuclear site, long suspected as a key component of Iran's nuclear enrichment effort, suffered serious damage, including in underground halls previously used for both enrichment and storage. The agency further warned of localized contamination and chemical hazards resulting from the strikes.

IAEA inspectors were on-site in Iran during the recent conflict, but the missing uranium was last confirmed during inspections before June 13. Since then, the agency has lost visibility over a large portion of Iran's stockpile, raising deep international concerns about nuclear security and the potential for illicit proliferation.

In response to questions about the scope and impact of Israel’s operation, an IDF spokesperson stated that the Israeli military "met all the operational goals as defined" and even exceeded expectations. “It is still early to determine the full picture,” the spokesperson said, “but we believe we have significantly harmed Iran’s nuclear program and pushed it back by years.”

The spokesperson added that Israel’s assessment is reinforced by IAEA Director Grossi’s own remarks: “There is Iran before this operation, Iran with the capability of breaking through to nuclear weapons, and there is Iran after the operation, Iran that is far from breaking through.”