Iran asserts that it successfully moved nearly all of its highly enriched uranium before the U.S. launched strikes on its nuclear facilities. Officials are concerned that 400 kilograms of 60% enriched uranium stored at Fordow may have already been transferred elsewhere prior to the attack — known as Operation Midnight Hammer.
Satellite images from recent days seem to support Iran’s claim, showing convoys leaving multiple sites, including a line of 16 trucks near Fordow on June 19.
Visuals from Maxar Technologies, a U.S. defense contractor, depict trucks, bulldozers, and security convoys surrounding Fordow, leading analysts from TS2 Space to suggest there was a “frantic effort” to move centrifuges or shielding materials amid the attacks.
(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
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9 Responses
I’m not chaping something. If weaponized uranium needs to get to 90% then how worrisome is it that they have 60% uranium somewhere and no way of further enriching it?
@besalel – The bomb dropped on Hiroshima was 80%, so it had less explosive yield. They do still have to convert it into a bomb, and those facilities were hopefully distroyed. The whole thing is unknown. They only would need a few cars to move the enriched uranium, and these are surely dump trucks that dumped gravel and earth to cover up entrances. It is unknow if something was removed or not at this point.
and the concern is if they have some hidden enrichment facility to finish it up.
Yes, 60% enriched uranium is considered highly dangerous. While not yet at weapons-grade (around 90% enrichment), 60% enriched uranium is close enough to be usable in a nuclear explosive device. It is also a significant quantity that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) defines as being capable of being used in a nuclear explosive.
besalel: Because that 60% stockpile represents years of work, with only days left to make it 90% – and for the quantity they have/had it is/was enough for multiple bombs
Finding (or manufacturing, like they have been until now) more centrifuges to finish that job is no big deal
Never believe islamists….
Not easy to move 90% enriched uranium as we think it needs to be moved in extremely heavy containers Out sup satellites would have picked it up. Today hard to hide anything
It’s possible but more probable not reality
To all of you above.
There is absolutely no need for an nuclear site to complete the enrichment of the existing uranium to 90%. What you need are scientists to complete the job which there still some of them left in Iran.
I assume that The US and Israel are putting in enormous efforts to find out where the 400 kg of enriched uranium has been hidden. This might also be the reason they decided to go for regime change because bombing the enriched uranium can cause toxic air pollution around the area.
Why cant they just follow the satellite image to where it was taken to?