Some of Iran’s stockpile of near weapons-grade enriched uranium survived US air strikes and could still be salvaged by Tehran, Israeli officials believe.

Much of the stockpile of 60 per cent enriched uranium, which had been stored in casks, is believed to have been buried under the rubble of a nuclear laboratory at Isfahan and potentially other sites following the attacks last month.

Israel has continued to monitor any attempts by Iran to recover the material, which would probably lead to more strikes, a senior official told reporters during a briefing on Wednesday.

The assessment contradicts claims by Donald Trump, the US president, who said the operation had “totally obliterated” the nuclear sites of Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan.

A fleet of seven B-2 stealth bombers, each armed with two GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrators, the largest and most powerful conventional bombs in the world, struck the sites in a move that brought America directly into Israel’s war against Tehran.