The International Atomic Energy Agency struggles as 900 pounds of Iran’s enriched uranium simply vanishes into thin air, raising global stakes.
At a Glance
- The UN’s nuclear watchdog, the IAEA, cannot account for 900 pounds of Iran’s highly enriched uranium following recent U.S. and Israeli strikes.
- Iran informed the IAEA it was taking “special measures” to protect its nuclear material before the attacks.
- U.S. intelligence suggests Iran may have moved the uranium to a new, deeply buried facility, but President Trump insists the material was “obliterated.”
- IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi is urgently calling for inspections to resume to verify the stockpile.
The Missing Uranium
The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has confirmed that the watchdog cannot account for approximately 900 pounds (408 kg) of Iran’s uranium enriched to 60% purity. In the wake of recent U.S. and Israeli military strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities, the whereabouts of this material—enough to potentially fuel several nuclear weapons if enriched further—is unknown, creating a major international security crisis.
“I have to be very precise… we are the IAEA, so we are not speculating here,” Director General Rafael Grossi told Fox News. “We do not have information on the whereabouts of this material.” Grossi noted that Iran had informed the agency it was taking “special measures” to protect its nuclear assets, which he assumes meant moving them. However, without inspections, this cannot be verified.
A Tale of Two Assessments
The mystery of the missing uranium is compounded by starkly conflicting reports on the effectiveness of the U.S. strikes, dubbed “Operation Midnight Hammer.” President Donald Trump has adamantly and repeatedly insisted the operation was a complete success. “It was obliteration, and you’ll see that,” Trump stated, dismissing contrary reports as “Fake News,” according to The White House.
However, a preliminary assessment by the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), leaked to the media, suggests a much more limited impact. According to the Military Times, that report concluded that Iran’s program was set back only by a few months and that its underground facilities were damaged but not destroyed.
The “Pickaxe Mountain” Theory
The DIA assessment aligns with intelligence suggesting Iran anticipated the attacks. Satellite imagery taken days before the strikes showed significant activity, including trucks and bulldozers, near the Fordo enrichment site. Experts and intelligence officials believe Iran likely moved its stockpile of enriched uranium to a new, deeply buried facility. As detailed by The Economic Times, much of the speculation is focused on a heavily fortified underground complex near Natanz known as “Pickaxe Mountain.”
IAEA’s Urgent Plea for Access
Faced with this dangerous uncertainty, the IAEA is demanding the immediate resumption of its inspection and monitoring activities inside Iran. Director General Grossi has stressed that this is his “number one priority” and the only way to provide credible, independent verification of Iran’s nuclear material.
“It is of paramount importance that the Agency’s inspectors are allowed to verify that all relevant materials, especially those enriched to 60%, are accounted for,” Grossi said in a statement to the UN Security Council on June 20, published by the IAEA. The international community now waits to see if Tehran will grant access or leave the world guessing about the fate of its missing uranium.
