Exclusive: Iran sealed uranium cache and placed mines amid fears of US operation to seize material

Source: CNN

Politics * 4 min read
Exclusive: Iran sealed uranium cache and placed mines amid fears of US operation to seize material

By Katie Bo Lillis, Davis Winkie, Zachary Cohen, Natasha Bertrand
4 hr ago
PUBLISHED Jun 13, 2026, 12:00 AM ET


Satellite imagery shows an overview of a tunnel complex carved into rocky terrain near a developed facility area in Isfahan, Iran, on November 11, 2025.

In recent weeks, Iran has dramatically escalated efforts to seal off its cache of near bomb-grade uranium, deliberately collapsing tunnels and booby-trapping entrances with explosive mines, according to five sources familiar with US intelligence.

Getting to the roughly half-a-ton of highly-enriched uranium is now far more difficult, dangerous and time-consuming than it already was just a month ago, when President Donald Trump was publicly signaling that he might order the US military to seize it, the sources said.

The new fortifications by the Iranians add an additional layer of complexity to the Trump administration's proposed deal with Tehran to remove and destroy its uranium, and the move raises questions about who will take on the dangerous task of digging it out.

Iran's diplomatic delegation to the United Nations did not immediately return a request for comment, and the White House did not immediately reply to questions from CNN.

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Davis Winkie’s work at CNN is supported by a partnership between Outrider Foundation and Journalism Funding Partners (JFP). CNN retains full editorial control of the reporting.

Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2026/06/13/politics/iran-sealed-uranium-cache-tunnels-placed-mines