Trump Directs Plans for Ground Seizure of Iran's Uranium

President Donald Trump has directed U.S. military officials to develop detailed plans for a potential ground operation to seize Iran's stockpile of highly enriched uranium, according to sources familiar with the discussions. The high-risk mission, outlined in recent weeks and briefed to the president within the past week, targets approximately 970 pounds of material enriched to 60 percent, stored primarily in underground tunnels at the Isfahan nuclear facility.

The proposed operation would require deploying special forces deep into Iranian territory, more than 300 miles inland from the nearest U.S. naval positions. Troops would need to secure the site amid expected resistance, excavate through rubble from prior airstrikes, and construct a temporary runway to airlift the uranium out via heavy cargo planes. Officials described the plan as involving hundreds or thousands of personnel and lasting weeks under hostile conditions, presenting formidable logistical, tactical, and chemical challenges. The uranium, likely stored as hazardous hexafluoride gas in separated canisters, could release toxic substances if damaged during transport or combat.

This development occurs amid escalating...