Israel has assessed that some of Iran's underground stockpile of near-bomb-grade enriched uranium has withstood recent attacks by American and Israeli forces, potentially accessible to Iranian nuclear engineers. This revelation comes from a senior Israeli official who chose to remain anonymous due to the sensitive nature of the information.
The Israeli official noted that the decision to consider military action against Iran was made late last year, triggered by the perception of Iran accelerating its nuclear weapon capabilities as part of a secretive project. This determination was fortified following the Israeli Air Force's elimination of Hezbollah leader, Hassan Nasrallah, which prompted Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to prepare for an offensive, possibly without U.S. backing.
During the offensive in mid-June, U.S. intelligence reported no indications that Iran had begun weapons development on its stockpile, despite the strikes involving heavy ordnance aimed at critical Iranian enrichment facilities. The U.S. launched strikes on two key sites using 30,000-pound bunker-busting bombs and targeted a third facility with submarine-launched Tomahawk missiles.
While the Israeli official disclosed that intelligence about the alleged Iranian program had been fully conveyed to U.S. counterparts, American officials maintain a contrasting viewpoint. They assert that Iran is not aggressively pursuing nuclear armament at this time, despite a nascent interest in developing less refined methods of weapon creation. This stance was echoed by U.S. Director of National Intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, during congressional testimony, emphasizing a lack of conclusive evidence regarding Iran's intention to build a nuclear weapon.
