US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth on Thursday dismissed reports suggesting that Iran had relocated its highly enriched uranium prior to recent American airstrikes targeting its nuclear programme.
“I’m not aware of any intelligence that I’ve reviewed that says things were not where they were supposed to be, moved or otherwise,” Hegseth stated at a press briefing.
He made the remarks after claims by analysts and an Iranian senior official that Iran had possibly relocated most of its 60% highly enriched uranium to a hidden site prior to the pre-dawn Sunday attack on the Fordow enrichment plant.
Analysts pointed to unusual traffic recorded in satellite photos from Maxar Technologies in the days preceding the attack. The images were said to indicate a column of vehicles outside Fordow, leaving suspicions that sensitive materials were relocated.
In spite of these claims, Hegseth stated that there is no credible intelligence to back the claim that Iran moved nuclear materials. He also condemned media for what he termed as the lack of appreciation of the effectiveness of the US military effort.
The head of the Pentagon responded to concerns based on an initial Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) report that indicated the airstrikes had likely only set Iran’s nuclear activities back by a couple of months. Hegseth disputed that evaluation, calling it “low confidence” and old.
He referenced CIA Director John Ratcliffe as having shared new intelligence that showed the strikes had caused critical harm to Iran’s nuclear facilities harm that would take years to recover from.
The US strike, intended to stop Iran’s nuclear pursuits, has stirred international focus again, particularly as the world questions Iran’s remaining nuclear arsenal and plans for the future. The Pentagon remains closely monitoring the situation with growing regional tensions.
