'Nothing was taken out' of Iran's nuclear sites before US strikes, says Trump
Nothing was taken out of facility. Would take too long, too dangerous, and very heavy and hard to move, he says
US President Donald Trump today (26 June) denied speculation that Iran removed any critical materials from its nuclear facilities prior to the recent US airstrikes, asserting that "nothing was taken out" of the sites.
"The cars and small trucks at the site were those of concrete workers trying to cover up the top of the shafts. Nothing was taken out of facility. Would take too long, too dangerous, and very heavy and hard to move," Trump wrote on Truth Social, reports CNN.
His comments follow growing speculation among experts about whether Iran managed to relocate any of its highly enriched uranium stockpiles before the unprecedented US attacks on multiple key nuclear locations last weekend.
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Trump's post came just minutes after Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth concluded a press briefing at the Pentagon, where he made a similar claim regarding intelligence findings.
"I'm not aware of any intelligence that I've reviewed that says things were not where they were supposed to be — moved or otherwise," Hegseth stated when asked specifically about the location of Iran's enriched uranium.
The US conducted strikes on 22 June targeting key nuclear facilities at Fordow, Isfahan, and Natanz — just ten days after a major Israeli assault on Iran.
On 13 June, Israel launched attacks on Iranian nuclear infrastructure that killed several top military commanders and nuclear scientists, according to Iranian sources.
In response, Iran launched multiple waves of missile strikes before a ceasefire took effect on Tuesday.
Former President Trump, speaking on Wednesday, claimed that the US strikes had "obliterated" Iran's nuclear capabilities, insisting the attacks had set Tehran's atomic program back "decades."
However, leaked US intelligence reports contradicted that claim, suggesting the strikes had only delayed Iran's nuclear efforts by a few months.
