Iran’s missing uranium stockpile sparks global alarm as IAEA demands answers

• Iran’s stockpile of nearly 900 pounds of near-weapons-grade uranium has disappeared after U.S. and Israeli airstrikes, raising fears it was moved to secret sites.
• The IAEA confirms Iran violated its NPT obligations by refusing to disclose the uranium’s location, last seen stored in Isfahan.
• Satellite images show suspicious cargo trucks at Fordow before the strikes, suggesting Iran rushed to relocate materials.
• Despite strikes damaging nuclear facilities, the missing uranium remains a major threat, with Iran now suspending IAEA inspections.
• Experts warn Iran may follow North Korea’s playbook, hiding uranium in covert sites and accelerating its nuclear program.

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi confirmed this week that Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium—nearly 900 pounds of near-weapons-grade material—has vanished following U.S. and Israeli airstrikes on its nuclear facilities. The uranium, last observed in storage casks at the Isfahan facility, is now unaccounted for, raising urgent questions about whether Tehran has secretly moved it to clandestine sites in violation of its Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) obligations.

The disappearance of this uranium, which could be weaponized within months if further enriched, underscores the reckless games played by the Iranian regime—a regime that has long masqueraded its nuclear ambitions under the guise of “peaceful energy” while systematically evading international oversight. With satellite imagery showing suspicious cargo trucks at Fordow before the strikes and Iran’s parliament now voting to suspend IAEA cooperation, the world is left grappling with a critical question: Where is the uranium—and what is Tehran planning to do with it?

A regime in violation

Grossi’s admission is a damning indictment of Iran’s nuclear duplicity. “We do not have information of the whereabouts of this material,” he told reporters, emphasizing that Iran’s refusal to disclose its location breaches its legal obligations under the NPT. The uranium, enriched to 60% purity—just shy of weapons-grade—was last seen in Isfahan, stored in containers small enough to fit in a handful of vehicles. Now, with no inspections permitted and Iranian officials offering only vague assurances that the material is “safe,” the IAEA is flying blind.

This isn’t just bureaucratic obstruction; it’s a deliberate strategy. Days before U.S. B-2 stealth bombers obliterated Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan, Iran had begun constructing a new enrichment complex. Satellite images captured 16 cargo trucks at Fordow, fueling speculation that the regime rushed to move materials before the strikes. Yet despite these red flags, Tehran refuses to come clean.

A fragile victory?

While U.S. and Israeli strikes have reportedly crippled Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, with Fordow’s vibration-sensitive centrifuges likely destroyed by bunker-buster bombs, the missing uranium remains a wild card. U.S. Vice President JD Vance acknowledged that if enrichment facilities are disabled, the uranium poses less of an immediate threat. But as Grossi warned, “accounting for every gram” is non-negotiable.

Iran’s parliamentary response? A brazen move to suspend all IAEA inspections, signaling its contempt for global norms. Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf accused the IAEA of selling out its “international credibility,” while state media boasted that Iran would accelerate its nuclear program. Such threats are not empty: Iranian officials have openly hinted at revising their nuclear doctrine, with senior adviser Ali Shamkhani declaring on X, “Even if nuclear sites are destroyed, [the] game isn’t over.”

Experts warn that Iran may have already shifted its uranium to hidden sites, replicating North Korea’s playbook for covert weapons development. Even U.S. intelligence suggests the strikes may have only delayed Iran’s ambitions by months.

The world must now confront the unsettling reality that Tehran may have already relocated its uranium to clandestine sites, mirroring North Korea’s playbook and leaving the international community with dwindling time to prevent a nuclear crisis.

Sources for this article include:

YourNews.com

Reuters.com

FT.com

JPost.com