As central authority in Tehran weakens, competing power centers are reportedly racing to seize control of enriched uranium reserves as leverage for political survival.
Foreign reports describe escalating struggles within Iran’s leadership following the elimination of key authority figures over the past two days. Observers compare the unfolding situation to the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, warning of a potentially massive security challenge for the free world.
According to a confidential February 27 report obtained by Reuters, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed that 440 kilograms of uranium enriched to 60% purity were transferred to underground tunnels before the latest wave of strikes. Iranian sources now claim the material is being dispersed across the country, reportedly without unified command or a functioning chain of authority. Three separate power centers are said to be issuing contradictory orders, including over whether the country is formally at war.
When the Soviet Union collapsed, securing scattered fissile material across four successor states required decades of coordinated international funding and effort. In Iran’s case, command structures have reportedly been deteriorating for over 72 hours — and no containment plan for potential uranium leakage appears to be in place.
