Iran has taken steps to fortify its stockpile of uranium enriched to near-bomb-grade levels, according to a report. The development comes a day after a senior US administration official told reporters that Washington and Tehran are close to a deal requiring Iran to relinquish its enriched uranium. The Jerusalem Post reported the details.
The Jerusalem Post reported late Friday that Iran has fortified its near-bomb-grade enriched uranium stockpile, citing unspecified sources. The report is the latest in a thread The Zioneer has tracked since Wednesday: at 07:26 on Friday, CNN reported, citing five U.S. intelligence-linked sources, that Iran had deliberately collapsed tunnels and laid mines at entrances to facilities storing 60%-enriched material — measures that The Zioneer first described as "accelerated sealing" of roughly half a ton of uranium. The Jerusalem Post's confirmation now adds a second newsroom's sourcing to the core claim, though its sources remain unnamed.
The thread began with CNN's initial report at 07:26 Jerusalem, which described Iran booby-trapping tunnels and collapsing passages to block U.S. access. A second thread version published at the same time frame said Iran had "dramatically accelerated" efforts to seal the stockpile. By the third version, also at 07:26, CNN cited five sources and assessed that much of the material is within the Isfahan nuclear complex. The Jerusalem Post's Friday evening report, which does not name its sources, corroborates the trajectory but adds no new operational details.
The fortification steps coincide with diplomatic movement: as The Zioneer reported on June 12, a senior White House official told Israel Hayom that an emerging deal would see enriched uranium destroyed and estimated an 85% chance of signing. President Trump said June 11 that agreement had been reached, describing the material as "buried under a mountain." A background item from Bloomberg on June 3 noted that international inspections of the stockpile are no longer taking place, intensifying proliferation concerns.
It remains unclear whether the reported fortification is a hedge against a deal collapsing or a bargaining chip. Specific methods and the quantity of material affected have not been independently confirmed beyond the two newsroom accounts.
6 developments
- DevelopingIran reportedly rehabilitating missile tunnel entrances in western region
- DevelopingBloomberg: Iran nuclear risk rises post-2025 strikes
- DevelopingAssessment: Most 60%-enriched uranium found in destroyed tunnels at Isfahan nuclear site
- DevelopingIRGC reportedly hides missile trucks inside tunnel in western Iran
Source and signal
- Internal intake