Trump Denies Claims of Uranium Movement Before US Strikes on Iranian Nuclear Sites

Donald Trump has dismissed claims suggesting that trucks transported highly enriched uranium from the critical Fordow nuclear site in Iran before significant U.S. military action. Satellite images taken shortly before the strikes showed a convoy of vehicles near the facility's entrance, prompting some analysts to speculate about potential uranium movement before the U.S. targeted the site with powerful bunker-buster munitions. In response to these claims, Trump took to social media to clarify that the vehicles seen were actually associated with construction workers who were covering the shafts, asserting that nothing was taken from the facility since the process would be too risky and cumbersome.

During a Pentagon briefing, U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth affirmed that he had not encountered any intelligence indicating that the enriched uranium had been relocated. The U.S. military utilized B-2 stealth bombers to deploy multiple GBU-57 bombs on Fordow, a facility that is heavily fortified and situated deep underground. Trump noted that the U.S. strikes had effectively "obliterated" not only the Fordow site but also other nuclear locations in Natanz and Isfahan.

General Dan Caine, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, elaborated on the strategy behind the attacks, stating that the U.S. focused on targeting the ventilation shafts at Fordow. He confirmed that prior to the strikes, Iran attempted to shield the shafts with large concrete blocks. In detailing the execution of Operation Midnight Hammer, he explained that the first bomb was intended to eliminate the protective slab, with subsequent bombs aimed at different angles to dismantle various aspects of the underground structure. He mentioned that a sixth bomb served as a fail-safe, ensuring the efficacy of the operation. Throughout the briefing, Hegseth defended the U.S. strikes, addressing criticism stemming from leaked preliminary intelligence suggesting that some vital facilities remained intact. He accused the media of sensationalizing these assessments to undermine the perceived success of the operation. After the briefing, Trump praised Hegseth on his platform for the professionalism displayed during the conference.