Washington is Considering a Major Special Operation to Seize Iran's Enriched Uranium

SadaNews - A US report, citing sources and experts, revealed that the United States is considering the option of conducting a large-scale military operation to seize Iran's stock of enriched uranium within its fortified nuclear facilities, in the event that the diplomatic path regarding the Iranian nuclear program falters.

According to the report published by the New York Post, American special operations forces are prepared to execute what some experts have described as "potentially the most complex military operation in history," given the extensive logistical and security coordination required within Iranian territory.

Joseph Rodgers, deputy director of the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), stated that the military option could be "the most likely means to eliminate current Iranian nuclear materials," considering that negotiations are not advancing rapidly.

The report indicated that the plan, according to a source familiar with military planning, may involve deploying thousands of soldiers to secure the area around the nuclear facilities, dismantling obstacles and explosives, and opening safe corridors, before small teams of special forces take on the task of reaching the enriched uranium and transporting it out of Iran.

The source added that the operation would be "extremely risky," while Rodgers described it as one of the most logistically complex operations, given the nature of the combat environment and fortified facilities, despite what he deemed a decline in Iranian military capabilities.

The report noted that the units that may participate in the operation include elements from SEAL Team 6, the second battalion of the Rangers, in addition to the 21st company specialized in handling munitions and hazardous materials, which would manage the enriched uranium and its transportation.

According to the report, the International Atomic Energy Agency had estimated in 2025 that Iran possessed more than 20,000 pounds of enriched uranium.

Experts believe that the success of any operation of this kind requires imposing a security cordon around the nuclear sites and securing land and air corridors for the evacuation of forces and nuclear materials, while American forces continue to repel any potential attacks from the Iranian side during the execution of the mission.

Richard Goldberg, who previously served as the director of the Iranian Weapons of Mass Destruction Counter-Proliferation issue at the U.S. National Security Council during the Trump administration, stated that one of the biggest challenges is the ability of the forces to maintain their positions until the safe withdrawal is completed.

He added that intelligence reports had indicated that Iran was bolstering its defenses at the Isfahan facility, including planting explosives and deploying additional forces around the site, pointing out that the element of surprise is no longer in play, as the sites of the facilities are known to both parties.

The report also mentioned information indicating that Iran had planted mines and explosives inside tunnels at the Isfahan facility, in anticipation of any attempted incursion, while the "Mountain of Beakaxes" or the axe area near Natanz emerged as a potential new target, following reports of hundreds of centrifuges being relocated there last month.

Goldberg believes that any operation targeting the "Mountain of Beakaxes" may focus on destroying or disabling the facility through special operations if it cannot be collapsed by airstrikes, noting that the success of this option depends on accurate intelligence regarding the facility's design and its vulnerabilities.

No official statements have yet been issued by the U.S. Department of Defense or the White House confirming the existence of a plan of this nature, while the information in the report is based on sources familiar with the situation and expert opinions relayed by the New York Post.