Trump Has Not Decided to Send Troops to Enter Iran's Nuclear Facilities

SadaNews - Two informed sources reported that U.S. President Donald Trump has not yet made a decision regarding the deployment of American forces to Iran to seize nuclear materials, in a move described as high-risk.

The sources told CBS News that Trump said in private conversations, "I have a lot of decisions to make," while the Pentagon has prepared several options for the president concerning the next steps in the war with Iran.

The International Atomic Energy Agency announced, following American strikes targeting three Iranian nuclear sites last summer, that it could not determine the fate of about 400 kilograms of highly enriched uranium.

According to the sources, Trump believes that Iran's military capabilities have been significantly harmed, especially its navy and air force, but he expressed concern about Tehran's ability to plant sea mines that could disrupt navigation in the Strait of Hormuz.

On Tuesday, Trump told reporters that it is unclear whether Iran has actually begun laying mines, adding: "We don’t even know if there are mines, but if there are, we would like some help in finding them."

The sources indicated that the U.S. administration is also facing difficulty in identifying who currently holds the key leadership in Iran, with Trump describing the situation as "closer to chaos."

For her part, White House spokesperson Caroline Levitt stated that the option of recovering nuclear materials is "on the table," but she refrained from providing further comment.

In contrast, Rafael Mariano Grossi, the director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, expressed doubts about the possibility of militarily destroying Iran's nuclear program, pointing out that it is "extensive and distributed across several facilities" within the country.

He added that it is in the interest of all parties to resume the diplomatic track after the fighting to address concerns related to the nuclear program.

On another front, satellite images have shown that Iran has buried the entrances to tunnels at one nuclear site, which could complicate any potential military operation to access nuclear materials.

Threats related to the Strait of Hormuz continue, as a British maritime security agency reported receiving reports of about 15 attacks since operations began, using "unknown projectiles," while oil tankers face risks from missiles, drones, and sea mines.