According to a senior Israeli official, last month’s US airstrikes on three Iranian nuclear facilities caused significant damage. Israel believes that Iran’s enriched uranium is still located at these three sites and has not been moved, though there is a possibility that one deeply buried stockpile may have survived.
As reported by media outlets including the Associated Press, the anonymous official stated during a briefing in Washington on Wednesday (July 9) that the enriched uranium deeply buried in the nuclear facility in Isfahan “may still be accessible to Iran,” although the retrieval process would be very difficult.
Israel’s assessment is that this strike has set back Iran’s nuclear program by about two years, and the enriched uranium in Isfahan, Fordo, and Natanz had not been relocated before the airstrikes. Israel is currently closely monitoring whether Iran is attempting to remove the potentially remaining nuclear materials.
The official emphasized that Israel has been monitoring Iran’s nuclear program for many years, and since the assassination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah last September, Iran has accelerated its nuclear weapons development process. It was also revealed that Iran had even considered providing nuclear weapons loaded with 90% enriched uranium to the Houthi rebels in Yemen to attack Israel.
The official stated that Israel has provided relevant intelligence to US President Trump. Whether or not the US approves or participates, Israel is prepared to independently attack Iran’s nuclear facilities. It was emphasized that US support is not a necessary prerequisite for Israeli action.
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, during his visit to Washington, expressed concerns about Iran’s supply of enriched uranium. Netanyahu stated that enriched uranium “is not sufficient to make atomic bombs—it is a necessary component, but not enough.” He added, “We also hope to control this necessary component,” and stressed, “I believe the Iranians understand that what the US and Israel have done once, we can do it two or three times.”
On June 22, the US military deployed the “bunker buster” GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator to bomb Iran’s nuclear facilities. However, officials from the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA), responsible for developing the bomb, stated that more information is needed to confirm if the bomb reached the intended depth.
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian admitted in an interview with conservative American host Tucker Carlson on Monday (July 7) that the airstrikes caused severe damage to the nuclear facilities, and Iranian technicians have not been able to fully enter the sites to assess the extent of the destruction.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) announced last Friday (July 4) that due to the recent law passed by the Iranian parliament prohibiting cooperation, inspection personnel stationed in Iran have safely evacuated and returned to the Vienna headquarters. Tehran authorities have accused the IAEA of leaking sensitive information to the US and criticized the agency for not condemning the airstrikes against Iran.
IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi stated at the end of June that the facilities in Fordo, Natanz, and Isfahan, with capabilities for enrichment, processing, and conversion, have been “substantially destroyed,” but he warned that Iran could still restart some nuclear activities if it wished. He emphasized that the true extent of the damage assessment depends on whether Iran allows international inspections.