Unaccounted Uranium Raises Fears on Iran's Program

Despite Israel and the U.S. claiming success in recent strikes against Iran's nuclear facilities, experts warn that Iran's nuclear program continues to pose a serious threat. Approximately 400 kg of highly enriched uranium remains unaccounted for and may have been relocated to secret sites prior to the attacks. Intelligence and Israeli officials caution that Iran could utilize undeclared facilities or seek North Korean assistance to advance its weapons program out of sight of Western monitoring. Former Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid cited intelligence showing Iran had revived its 'weapon group,' prompting Israel's pre-emptive action. The International Atomic Energy Agency has been unable to fully assess the damage or uranium stockpile due to lack of access, and experts note that hidden advanced centrifuges could enable Iran to rapidly rebuild nuclear capacity. Overall, the threat from Iran's nuclear program is not considered eliminated, and international vigilance remains necessary.