Visualizing Iran's 'Missing' Uranium: What We Know

Newsweek

3 days ago

Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
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In the days before U.S. airstrikes hit Iran's Fordow and Isfahan nuclear sites, satellite images captured convoys of cargo trucks leaving the facilities. Nuclear experts now believe Iran relocated more than 400 kilograms of highly enriched uranium—enough for 10 nuclear weapons—to a secret location, a move that has left U.S. and international inspectors unable to verify the material's whereabouts.
A classified U.S. intelligence report reviewed after the strikes found Iran's nuclear program was set back only by several months, contradicting President Donald Trump's assertion that the program had been "completely and totally obliterated." Israeli intelligence reports have also contradicted the initial U.S. assessment, estimating more "significant" damage has been done by the bombing.
The centrifuges at Fordo, the main enrichment facility buried deep inside a mountain that was targeted last weekend, are "no longer operational," according to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
Who Confirms the Uranium Is Missing—and Who Denies It?
Rafael Grossi, director general of the IAEA, confirmed his team last verified Iran's uranium stockpile on June 13. Since then, he said, "We do not have information of the whereabouts of this material," in an interview with Fox News. Grossi added on CNN: "Iran has made no secret that they have protected this material."
Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Grossi at the Chancellery in Vienna on June 25, 2025.
Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Grossi at the Chancellery in Vienna on June 25, 2025.Vice President JD Vance acknowledged the uncertainty, telling ABC News: "We're going to work in the coming weeks to ensure that we do something with that fuel."
Vance did not confirm whether the United States knows where it is now.
The 60 percent enriched uranium—technically just short of weapons-grade—would be enough to produce multiple nuclear warheads if further refined. As of May, the IAEA reported Iran possessed 408.6 kilograms of the material.
What Do Satellite Images Reveal About Iran's Nuclear Movements?
Maxar Technologies confirmed it captured satellite images on June 19 and 20 showing at least 16 cargo trucks positioned outside the Fordo Fuel Enrichment Facility. The images, taken just days before the U.S. launched "Operation Midnight Hammer," revealed what defense analysts described as a likely "frantic effort" to remove sensitive nuclear material or equipment.
Satellite imagery captured by Maxar on June 19 showing cargo trucks close to the underground entrance of the Fordow fuel enrichment facility, prior to U.S. airstrikes on the underground complex.
Satellite imagery captured by Maxar on June 19 showing cargo trucks close to the underground entrance of the Fordow fuel enrichment facility, prior to U.S. airstrikes on the underground complex.
MAXAR TECHNOLOGIES
According to The New York Times, two Israeli officials said Iran likely removed 400 kilograms of 60 percent enriched uranium in the days leading up to the U.S. attacks. A senior Iranian source told Reuters that "almost all" of Iran's highly enriched uranium had been transferred to a secret location.
What Is the Pentagon Saying?
In a Pentagon briefing Thursday, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Gen. Dan Caine defended the strike operation and attempted to shift focus away from whether Iran's uranium had been moved. Hegseth labeled the strikes "an historically successful attack," and challenged critics for "breathlessly" focusing on early intelligence assessments suggesting only partial destruction.
"You want to call it destroyed, you want to call it defeated, you want to call it obliterated — choose your word," Hegseth told reporters. "This was an historically successful attack."
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth (L), accompanied by Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Air Force Gen. Dan Caine (R), speaks during a news conference at the Pentagon on June 26, 2025 in Arlington,...
U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth (L), accompanied by Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Air Force Gen. Dan Caine (R), speaks during a news conference at the Pentagon on June 26, 2025 in Arlington, Virginia. MoreGeneral Caine said the operation resulted from 15 years of classified research to defeat Iran's underground enrichment complex. "We were quietly and in a secret way the biggest users of supercomputer hours within the United States," he said, referring to the Defense Threat Reduction Agency's simulations.
Asked directly if uranium was moved, Hegseth responded, "I'm not aware of any intelligence that says things were not where they were supposed to be."
Still, the Defense Intelligence Agency's early assessment—leaked prior to the briefing—found the strikes had caused "significant" damage but stopped short of declaring Iran's nuclear program destroyed. According to the Associated Press, DIA officials expressed "low confidence" in determining whether all nuclear materials had remained in place.
Where Could 400,000 Kilograms of Uranium Have Gone?
To move 400,000 kilograms—roughly 880,000 pounds—of enriched uranium hexafluoride (UF₆), Iran would need around 261 specialized 30B Type B(U) transport cylinders.
Each of these cylinders is approximately 4 to 4.3 feet tall and 3 to 3.9 feet in diameter, weighing close to 6,070 pounds (2,755 lbs gross weight, including container) when filled. Each cylinder can contain about 3,380 pounds of uranium alone.
This mock-up shows how a single 30B uranium hexafluoride (UF₆) transport cylinder fits horizontally in the bed of a Ford F-150 pickup truck. Illustration created using ChatGPT and reference 3D modeling tools.
This mock-up shows how a single 30B uranium hexafluoride (UF₆) transport cylinder fits horizontally in the bed of a Ford F-150 pickup truck. Illustration created using ChatGPT and reference 3D modeling tools.
AI-GENERATED IMAGE
These cylinders are designed to lie flat during transport, typically cradled in reinforced metal racks on military or industrial-grade flatbeds. For comparison, a Ford F-150 pickup truck—one of the most common work vehicles in the U.S.—has a maximum payload of roughly 3,300 pounds.
This means it could carry only one barrel at a time due to weight restrictions, despite having the physical space to fit more. Loading all 261 barrels would require more than 260 trips by such trucks or a convoy of large-scale, purpose-built haulers.
An AI-generated aerial image shows a convoy of 261 Ford F-150 trucks, each carrying a 30B UF₆ cylinder marked with radioactive symbols, traveling through a remote mountain highway—illustrating the scale of transporting 400,000 kg of...
An AI-generated aerial image shows a convoy of 261 Ford F-150 trucks, each carrying a 30B UF₆ cylinder marked with radioactive symbols, traveling through a remote mountain highway—illustrating the scale of transporting 400,000 kg of uranium. More
AI-GENERATED IMAGE
Why Can't Inspectors Verify the Stockpile Anymore?
The IAEA has not resumed inspections since the June 22 strikes, with Iran suspending international access amid ongoing military tensions. "Continued military escalation delays this indispensable work," Grossi warned the UN Security Council, urging diplomatic re-engagement.
Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Takht Ravanchi dismissed speculation that Tehran would scale back its nuclear ambitions. "No one can tell us what we should and should not do," he said in remarks reported by Iranian media.
Ali Shamkhani, a senior adviser to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, was more blunt: "Even assuming the complete destruction of the sites, the game is not over, because enriched materials, indigenous knowledge, and political will remain intact," he told The Telegraph.