Washington: U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Thursday that he has seen no intelligence to support claims that Iran relocated any of its highly enriched uranium ahead of recent American airstrikes targeting its nuclear infrastructure. His comments come amid growing scrutiny over the actual impact of the operation on Iran's nuclear capabilities.
On Sunday, U.S. military bombers dropped more than a dozen 30,000-pound bunker-buster bombs on three suspected Iranian nuclear sites. The U.S administration, led by President Donald Trump, has hailed the strikes as a severe blow to Tehran's nuclear ambitions, with Trump asserting the program had been “obliterated.”
At a tense Pentagon press conference, Hegseth dismissed speculation that Iran had removed key nuclear materials from the Fordow site before the attack. “I haven’t seen any intelligence suggesting material was moved,” he said. Trump, echoing those remarks, claimed that the only vehicles seen at the site belonged to construction crews covering the bunker shafts and insisted, without evidence, that no materials were removed.
However, satellite imagery released by Maxar Technologies showed unusual vehicle activity at Fordow in the days before the strikes. Human Online also cited a senior Iranian source who claimed much of Iran’s 60% enriched uranium stockpile had been moved to a secret location prior to the U.S. operation.
A report from the Financial Times, quoting European intelligence sources, suggested Iran’s uranium reserves remained largely untouched because they weren’t primarily stored at Fordow. Meanwhile, a leaked preliminary assessment from the Defense Intelligence Agency estimated the strikes may have delayed Iran’s nuclear program by only a few months — though Hegseth rejected this as outdated and lacking confidence. He instead referenced new intelligence and CIA Director John Ratcliffe’s view that Iran’s nuclear capacity had been significantly crippled and would take years to recover.
Following a closed-door briefing to the U.S. Senate, lawmakers offered mixed reactions. Intelligence Committee Chair Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) called the mission "extraordinary," noting that removing or destroying uranium stockpiles had never been part of the operation. Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.), the committee’s top Democrat, stressed the importance of ground-level inspections to fully understand the status of Iran’s program.
Notably absent from the Senate briefing was Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, who previously questioned the administration’s claims about Iran's nuclear weapon intentions — a stance Trump sharply criticized last week.
The administration’s top national security officials — Hegseth, Ratcliffe, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Joint Chiefs Chair Gen. Dan Caine — are scheduled to brief the House on Friday. The Senate is also preparing to vote on a resolution demanding congressional approval for any future military actions against Iran, although it is unlikely to pass.
At the Pentagon, Hegseth defended the operation as a "historic success" and criticized journalists for what he claimed was biased coverage. “It’s in your DNA to root against Trump,” he said, accusing the press of downplaying military achievements due to political animosity.
Trump praised Hegseth's remarks on social media, calling the briefing "one of the greatest" ever. Hegseth later thanked the president online.
During the briefing, Gen. Caine remained focused on technical aspects, sharing video footage of the bunker-buster bomb tests and refusing to speculate on the broader impact of the strikes. He emphasized that he had not faced political pressure to present a favorable analysis.
"I’ve always been encouraged to speak truthfully and directly," Caine said, reiterating the military’s commitment to apolitical conduct.
Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has vowed retaliation for any further U.S. attacks and declared that, despite the damage inflicted, Iran would not surrender.
