The US and Israel are considering sending their special forces to seize Iran's nuclear stockpile
The United States and Israel have discussed sending special forces to Iran to secure the Tehran regime's stockpile of highly enriched uranium at a later stage of the war, according to four sources familiar with the discussions, cited by Axios.
Preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon is one of US President Donald Trump's stated goals in the current conflict. Iran's stockpile of around 450 kilograms of 60 percent enriched uranium, which could be brought to the level needed for nuclear weapons within weeks, is seen as a key element in achieving that goal.
According to the sources, a possible operation to retrieve the material would most likely require sending American or Israeli troops into Iranian territory, which would have to reach heavily fortified underground facilities in the midst of war. It is not clear whether it will be an American, Israeli or joint mission.
At a congressional briefing on Tuesday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio was asked whether Iran's enriched uranium would be secured. “Somebody's going to have to go and get it,” he said, without specifying who.
An Israeli defense official said Donald Trump and his team are seriously considering sending special operations units to Iran for certain missions.
Another US official said the administration had discussed two options: removing the material from Iran or sending nuclear experts to dilute it on site.
The mission would most likely involve special forces alongside scientists, possibly including from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
The same official described the operational challenge: “The first question is: Where is it? The second question is: How do we get to it and how do we gain physical control of it?”
“Then it would be a decision of the president and the Department of Defense, along with the CIA, whether we wanted to physically transport it or dilute it on site,” he added.
Trump: “We wouldn't do it now. Maybe later”
Two sources said such operations were part of a set of options presented to Trump before the war broke out.
Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One on Saturday that sending ground troops was possible, but only “for a very good reason.”
“If we ever did that, (the Iranians, no) would be so decimated that they would not be able to fight at ground level,” he said.
Asked if troops could be sent to secure nuclear material, Trump did not rule out the possibility. “At some point, maybe we will. We haven't tried it yet. We wouldn't do it now. Maybe we will do it later,” he declared.
White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt told Axios that Trump is “wisely keeping all options open and not ruling anything out.”
Where is Iran's uranium?
According to US and Israeli officials, most of the uranium stockpile is in the underground tunnels of the Isfahan nuclear facility, with the rest split between Fordow and Natanz.
The US-Israeli strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities last June buried Iran's uranium stockpile under rubble, and officials say the Iranians haven't been able to get to it since. The attacks destroyed almost all of Iran's centrifuges, and so far there is no evidence that uranium enrichment has resumed.
The United States and Israel consider Iran's stockpile of around 450 kilograms of 60 percent enriched uranium to be a serious threat because it could be brought to the level needed for nuclear weapons in just weeks.
If the entire stockpile were enriched to 90 percent purity, the level considered “military grade,” the amount would be enough for about 11 nuclear bombs.
