IAEA: Iran's 60% Uranium Stockpile Intact at Isfahan

International Atomic Energy Agency chief Rafael Grossi stated on March 9 that a significant portion of Iran's stockpile of uranium enriched to 60 percent purity remains intact at an underground facility in Isfahan, despite U.S. and Israeli airstrikes on the country's nuclear sites last June. The material, estimated at more than 200 kilograms there and additional amounts at Natanz, could be further enriched to produce up to 10 nuclear weapons, according to agency assessments.

The revelation underscores a persistent challenge in the ongoing U.S.-led military campaign against Iran's nuclear program, now in its second week as of early March 2026. President Donald Trump acknowledged on March 7 aboard Air Force One that deploying ground forces to secure the uranium has not been ruled out, though he emphasized it is not an immediate plan. "Right now we're just decimating them, but we haven't gone after it," Trump told reporters. "But something we could do later on. We wouldn't do it now." On March 9, he reiterated from Florida that the U.S. is "nowhere near" ordering troops into Iran, while declining to fully dismiss the option.

The uranium in question totals around 440 kilograms at 60...