Trump Strikes Iran, but 900 Pounds of Uranium Vanish
Ali Khamenei in Mashhad. Photo courtesy of khamenei.ir under CC BY 4.0.
Somewhere under a mountain — or maybe not under any mountain at all — nearly 900 pounds of enriched uranium have vanished. And no one, not the United Nations, not the CIA, not even the president of the United States, knows where it went.
This isn't a spy thriller — it's the very real and very alarming fallout from June 2025's U.S.-led airstrikes on Iran's key nuclear sites. And the implications could reshape the global security landscape for years to come.
'A Mission Accomplished' That May Have Missed the Target
On paper, the joint U.S.-Israeli assault was a textbook operation. American B-2 bombers unleashed 14 GBU-57 "bunker buster" munitions on Iran's Fordow site. Cruise missiles hammered Natanz and Isfahan — including Fordow, three of Iran's most heavily fortified nuclear facilities.
But beneath the surface — literally — questions quickly emerged.
Within 48 hours of the strikes, U.S. and Israeli officials were forced to admit the location of Iran's enriched uranium stockpile, approximately 400 kilograms (about 880 pounds), was unknown.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed the disappearance and said its inspectors were unable to access the sites or confirm the condition of the material, according to MSN.
16 Trucks, a Mountain, and a Lot of Questions
Satellite imagery taken two days before the Fordow strike shows 16 cargo trucks pulling up to the facility. By the time bombs fell, the trucks were gone.
Iran had reportedly warned the IAEA in advance that it would take "special measures" to protect its nuclear assets, according to NBC News. What those measures entailed remains unclear — but the missing uranium is at the center of it.
Some officials have speculated the uranium may have been moved to a classified site known, according to the Telegraph, informally as "Pickaxe Mountain" — a location long rumored to be a hidden Iranian nuclear weapons lab. Others believe it may now be housed in smaller fortified facilities not hit during the recent bombing campaign.
A Global Game of Hide-and-Seek
IAEA Director Rafael Grossi has been blunt, saying, "We do not have information of the whereabouts of this material," according to Fox News.
He reiterated that Iran remains obligated to report the movement of all nuclear material under international treaties — a requirement Tehran has so far ignored.
Iranian officials claim the uranium was moved for safety. But with inspections halted and transparency suspended, even seasoned nuclear analysts admit the material could now be anywhere.
The uranium — enriched to 60% — isn't weapons-grade yet. But it's just one step away from the 90% threshold needed for a nuclear bomb.
And its canister-sized containers are small enough to be moved without detection.
The Clock Is Ticking
Washington's view on the missing uranium is divided. Vice President JD Vance argues the strikes succeeded in halting Iran's ability to weaponize the fuel, even if the uranium itself wasn't destroyed.
Critics say that's a dangerous gamble, especially when inspectors can't confirm whether Iran still has functioning centrifuges — the machines that could finish the job.
Former UN nuclear inspector David Albright warned that because some of the centrifuges are still "unaccounted for," the U.S. mission is not yet complete, according to the Guardian. He added, "I think that part of the mission has been accomplished. Stocks of enriched uranium are one of them. I wish those stocks were buried, but our understanding is that some of them were taken away by Iran, and we don't know where they are."
That means Iran could still restart the process of weaponization — if it hasn't already.
Nuclear Shadows
The missing uranium isn't just a logistical mystery — it's a diplomatic time bomb. The absence of hard proof gives Iran plausible deniability while keeping the international community guessing. Meanwhile, Israeli and U.S. officials are left with a troubling reality that their "decisive" strike may have scattered the very threat they were trying to contain.
And if Iran's uranium has indeed been buried in a secret facility — or worse, prepared for weaponization — the next phase of this conflict could be far more dangerous than anyone predicted.
References: Iran's Missing Uranium Stockpile Is a Big Problem for Trump | Even after US and Israeli strikes, Iran may still be able to build a nuclear weapon | IAEA director says Iran's enriched uranium can't be located following US military strikes | JD Vance suggests Iran's uranium stockpile is still intact despite US strikes | Nuclear watchdog demands clarity on status of missing uranium in Iran | Pickaxe mountain: Iran's new hidden nuclear fortress
