Amid IAEA talks, Iranian FM Araghchi says enriched uranium buried 'under rubble' of bombed nuclear sites

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi claimed on Thursday that Tehran’s stockpile of highly enriched nuclear material was buried “under rubble” at the country’s nuclear sites, which were bombed by Israel and the United States during Operation Rising Lion in June.

During an interview on state television, Tehran’s top diplomat stated “all of our material is… under the rubble of the bombed facilities.” Addressing the issue of UN inspections to the nuclear sites, Araghchi argued that it will be “considered case by case by the Supreme National Security Council.” He added that the situation at the bombed nuclear sites is “complicated” without explaining. 

“For now no action is taken until Iran carries out the necessary measures related to environmental and safety concerns,” he continued, indicating that the Iranian regime is currently opposed to inspections by experts from International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

Araghchi made his comments merely days after he met the IAEA head Rafael Grossi in Cairo and signed a new cooperation agreement with the UN nuclear watchdog. 

Grossi recently warned Iran that the country was running out of time to reach a deal before snapback sanctions are reinstated by late September. 

“There is still time, but not much. Always enough when there is good faith and a clear sense of responsibility,” the IAEA chief stated. 

“Progress has been made. It is my sincere hope that within the next few days it will be possible to come to a successful conclusion of these discussions in order to facilitate the resumption, the full resumption, of our indispensable work with Iran,” Grossi concluded with cautious optimism. 

The Iranian foreign minister warned “if the issue of activating the snapback mechanism goes through in the Security Council despite all the disputes, from our point of view this agreement will no longer be valid.”

Meanwhile, the whereabouts of Iran’s 400 kg (882 pounds) of near–weapons-grade enriched uranium have been the subject of debate since the Israeli and U.S. strikes on Iranian nuclear sites in June.

In an interview with CBS in June, Grossi admitted that “we don’t know where this (highly enriched) material could be.”

An unnamed Western diplomatic source claimed that Iran removed most of its highly enriched uranium from the key Fordow site just days before the U.S. strike—“almost as if they knew it was coming.” Some Iranian officials echoed this, asserting that the uranium was moved prior to the attack. However, U.S. President Donald Trump dismissed these claims, insisting the uranium was not removed before the strike.

However, in July, some Israeli officials expressed concerns that Iran’s enriched uranium somehow survived the U.S. and Israeli strikes. Speaking on condition of anonymity, a senior Israeli official told the media outlets that Tehran’s enriched uranium is “likely buried in caskets underground.” The official further warned that the ayatollah regime could try “going nuclear underground.”

The Iranian regime officially denies that it seeks nuclear weapons and claims that its nuclear program is only designed for peaceful civilian use. However, many Israeli and Western military experts reject this claim, stressing that Tehran has enriched uranium close to military grade level, which has no civilian applications.

Additonally, Iran has placed its nuclear program in fortified sites, which are partly underground and heavily protected. Critics of the Iranian regime have also argued that if Iran had peaceful intentions, it would not systematically undermine international inspections to the sites. 

The Iranian regime has openly called for Israel’s destruction, which is why the Jewish state regards Iranian nuclear weapons as an intolerable existential threat.