Much of Iran's near-bomb-grade uranium likely to be in Isfahan, IAEA's Grossi says

• Summary

• Isfahan tunnels appear to have survived military strikes

• Some highly enriched uranium was known to be stored there

• No one has seen signs material has been moved, Grossi says

• IAEA has not had access to ​bombed sites including Isfahan

PARIS, March 9 (Reuters) - Almost half of ‌Iran’s uranium enriched to up to 60% purity, a short step from weapons-grade, was stored in a tunnel complex at Isfahan and is probably still there, U.N. nuclear watchdog chief Rafael Grossi said on Monday.

The tunnel complex is the only ​target that appears not to have been badly damaged in attacks last June by Israel ​and the U.S. on Iran’s nuclear facilities.

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Diplomats have long said Isfahan has been ⁠used to store 60% uranium, which the International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed in a report to member ​states last month, without saying how much was there.

IRAN STILL HAS HIGHLY ENRICHED URANIUM STOCKS

The IAEA estimates ​that when Israel launched its first attacks in June, Iran had 440.9 kg of 60% uranium. If enriched further, that would provide the explosive needed for 10 nuclear weapons, according to an IAEA yardstick.

“What we believe is that Isfahan had ​until our last inspection a bit more than 200 kg, maybe a little bit more than that, ​of 60% uranium,” IAEA chief Rafael Grossi told reporters in Paris.

He said the stock was “mainly” at Isfahan, and some held elsewhere ‌may ⁠have been destroyed.

“The widespread assumption is that the material is still there. So we haven’t seen - and not only us, I think in general all those observing the facility through satellite imagery and other means to see what’s going on there - movement indicating that the material could have been transferred,” Grossi ​said.

Iran has not informed the ​IAEA of the ⁠status or whereabouts of its highly enriched uranium since the June attacks, nor has it let IAEA inspectors return to its bombed facilities.

Iran’s nuclear programme is ​one reason Israel and the U.S. have given for their current attacks on ​Iran, arguing ⁠that it was getting too close to being able to produce a bomb, despite Trump saying in June that U.S. strikes had obliterated the programme. The IAEA has said it has no credible indication of a coordinated nuclear ⁠weapons ​programme.

All three Iranian uranium-enrichment plants known to have been operating - two at ​Natanz and one at Fordow - were destroyed or badly damaged in June.

“There is an amount (of 60% uranium) in Natanz also, which ​we believe is still there,” Grossi said.

Writing by Francois Murphy; Editing by Sharon Singleton and Kevin Liffey

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