A senior Israeli official told The New York Times that while most of Iran’s 18,000 centrifuges were likely destroyed in the US strikes last month, some 60 percent-enriched uranium stored in protective casks may still be intact and accessible. The strikes, authorized by President Donald Trump, were the first US direct attacks on Iran's nuclear infrastructure and targeted three key sites using advanced bunker-busting bombs.

Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell previously claimed the strikes had set back Iran’s program by one to two years. However, Israel's intelligence disputes this conclusion and remains concerned about the remaining stockpile. "Any attempt to access the site will be detected and responded to," the Israeli official warned.

The concern is that this residual uranium could give Iran a shortcut to quickly resume its nuclear weapons program if oversight lapses or political cover enables renewed development.

Tensions Escalated After Nasrallah's Assassination

The Israeli official also alleged that Iran accelerated its nuclear efforts following Israel’s assassination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah 10 months ago, claiming the move was a trigger for Tehran to pursue weaponization. The intelligence was reportedly shared with Washington and influenced both Israeli and US decisions to escalate military operations against Iran.

The recent bombing was part of what Israeli media dubbed the “12-day war,” during which Israel launched strikes across Iran targeting military figures, nuclear engineers, and critical infrastructure. Iran retaliated with missile strikes on cities including Haifa and Tel Aviv, and later fired on the US al-Udeid airbase in Qatar.

IAEA And Trump Signal Opening For Diplomacy

Rafael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), offered a differing view, stating that Iran may have removed much of its enriched stockpile before the attacks. Israeli officials rejected that claim, calling it logistically improbable under the circumstances.

In a surprising post on his Truth Social platform, Trump described Iran’s missile response as “very weak” and thanked Tehran for the “early notice,” signaling a diplomatic off-ramp. He added that the time had come for “peace and harmony in the region” and later confirmed that US-Iran nuclear negotiations are back on the agenda.

The White House’s renewed openness to diplomacy follows a brief but intense military escalation that interrupted ongoing nuclear talks. With tensions still high, Israel’s warnings suggest it remains prepared to act if Iran attempts to revive its nuclear program.