The United States has previously claimed that its strikes severely damaged Iran’s nuclear facilities. However, Washington’s decision to offer a reward of up to $20 million for information about the country’s nuclear programme raises questions about what remains of the programme and where its sensitive materials are located.
The key distinction is between destroying nuclear facilities and establishing the whereabouts of enriched uranium and other materials.
An airstrike may damage or destroy a site, but that does not automatically confirm that all the materials stored there were also destroyed or recovered.
The latest reward announcement was made on November 6, 2026, through the US Department of State’s Rewards for Justice programme, with the announcement also publicised by US Central Command (CENTCOM).
The programme is offering up to $20 million for information relating to Iran’s nuclear activities. Individuals providing credible information may also be eligible for relocation assistance.
The US is seeking more than information about a single uranium storage location. Its appeal covers Iranian nuclear facilities, equipment, personnel, scientists, organisations involved in the programme and related activities.
The broad scope of the request suggests that Washington wants intelligence on the remaining components of Iran’s nuclear programme, including the location of materials, equipment and individuals with technical knowledge.
The announcement has also renewed questions about US President Donald Trump’s repeated claims that American and Israeli strikes had substantially destroyed Iran’s nuclear capabilities and prevented Tehran from developing nuclear weapons.
Destroying enrichment facilities or other nuclear infrastructure, however, does not necessarily mean that all previously enriched uranium, specialised equipment or technical expertise has been eliminated.
Some materials could have been moved before the attacks, transferred to other locations or left unaccounted for.
This uncertainty is particularly significant because of Iran’s reported stockpile of highly enriched uranium.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) estimated that Iran had accumulated 440.9 kilograms of uranium enriched to 60 per cent, according to figures cited in an Associated Press report published on November 6, 2026.
Uranium enriched to 60 per cent is far above the level generally required for civilian nuclear power generation, although it remains below the approximately 90 per cent enrichment level commonly associated with weapons-grade uranium.
Further enrichment could bring the material closer to weapons-grade levels, although possessing such uranium does not by itself establish that a country has produced a nuclear weapon.
The central unanswered questions concern how much of this stockpile survived the strikes, where it is now located and whether Iran retains the capacity to continue or restart enrichment activities.
Another factor complicating the assessment is the IAEA’s reduced ability to monitor Iran’s nuclear activities.
In its explanation of the reward programme, the US State Department said Iran’s failure to cooperate with its monitoring obligations had resulted in the agency losing what it calls “continuity of knowledge”.
This refers to the IAEA’s ability to maintain a consistent record of nuclear materials, production and the movement of equipment, including centrifuges used to enrich uranium.
When access and monitoring are restricted, it becomes more difficult for inspectors to establish what remains at particular facilities and whether materials have been transferred elsewhere.
Trump said on Friday that, without US strikes against Iran, Israel and the wider Middle East could have faced a serious threat from an Iranian nuclear weapon. He has also continued to describe the attacks as having devastated Iran’s nuclear capabilities.
However, political statements about the success of military operations are distinct from independent technical assessments of the damage.
Establishing whether Iran’s nuclear programme has been fully dismantled would require evidence about the condition of its facilities, the fate of its enriched uranium stockpile, the status of its equipment and the extent of its remaining technical capacity.
The $20 million reward does not, by itself, demonstrate that the US strikes failed or that Trump’s statements were false.
It does, however, show that Washington is still seeking information to establish what remains of Iran’s nuclear infrastructure and related activities.
The issue is also likely to remain central to diplomatic efforts between Washington and Tehran.
According to Associated Press, Qatari mediators have been working to secure access for IAEA inspectors to sites that were struck, while subsequent negotiations are expected to address Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile.
The reward therefore highlights the intelligence dimension of the confrontation between the United States and Iran.
Beyond military operations, Washington is seeking to establish the whereabouts of nuclear materials, equipment and expertise that could enable Tehran to resume parts of its programme.
The United States wants greater certainty that Iran cannot rebuild its nuclear capabilities, while Tehran continues to maintain that its nuclear programme is intended for peaceful purposes.
