Trump slams media reports, dismisses Iran uranium relocation claims

WASHINGTON: President Donald Trump has criticised media reports suggesting that Iran moved enriched uranium before US air strikes, calling the claims false. 

Excited to take credit for ordering the strikes and then swiftly announcing a ceasefire between Israel and Iran, the President reacted angrily to media coverage of a classified report which questioned the scale of damage to Iranian nuclear facilities.

He said that there was no evidence the uranium had been relocated and insisted the strikes were successful in hitting key nuclear sites. 

Meantime, the White House said the material remained buried under rubble.

One of the key concerns raised by experts is whether Iran, anticipating the strike, moved around 400 kilogrammes (880 pounds) of enriched uranium — which may now be hidden elsewhere in the country.

“I can tell you, the United States had no indication that that enriched uranium was moved prior to the strikes, as I also saw falsely reported,” said White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt in an interview with Fox News.

“As for what’s on the ground right now, it’s buried under miles and miles of rubble because of the success of these strikes on Saturday evening,” she added.