'Some' of Iran's enriched uranium survived US attacks, Israelis claim

Israel believes that some of Iran's near-bomb-grade enriched uranium stockpile endured recent U.S. and Israeli attacks and may still be accessible for nuclear weapons development. A senior Israeli official indicated that military action against Iran began being considered last year, prompted by intelligence on Iran's secret projects.

While the U.S. struck major enrichment sites, they reported no evidence of Iran weaponizing its stockpile. Israel and the U.S. concur that Iran's centrifuges at Natanz and Fordo were severely damaged. Still, questions remain about how quickly Iran could rebuild its nuclear capabilities.

A senior Israeli official was unconcerned about assessments that some stockpile survived the attack. The official and other Israelis with intelligence access said Iran's recovery attempts would likely be detected, allowing time to strike the facilities again.

Iran has since limited access for International Atomic Energy Agency inspectors, raising concerns about future proliferation efforts. Experts warn that efforts to restore nuclear sites could be dispersed to covert facilities across the country, complicating monitoring efforts.