US, Israel discuss special forces mission to secure Iran’s enriched uranium - report

The United States and Israel are reportedly considering deploying special forces inside Iran to secure the country’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium, according to a report by Axios citing sources familiar with the discussions.

The potential operation would aim to ensure that the Islamic Republic cannot obtain nuclear weapons, one of the stated objectives of US President Donald Trump during the ongoing conflict.

According to The New York Times, Iran’s primary stockpile of highly enriched uranium is currently entombed beneath the country’s nuclear facility in Isfahan following U.S. strikes last year. However, intelligence officials believe Iran, or possibly another group, could still retrieve the material through a narrow access point that remains reachable.

U.S. officials say American intelligence agencies maintain continuous surveillance of the site and are confident they would detect any attempt to move the uranium. The material is stored as gas in sealed canisters, though it remains unclear how quickly Iran could relocate it if access were gained.

According to American and Israeli officials, Iran possesses roughly 450 kilograms (about 970 pounds) of uranium enriched to 60%, the majority of which is believed to be stored at the Isfahan site. While nuclear weapons typically require enrichment levels of about 90%, experts say increasing enrichment from 60% to weapons-grade could take only a few weeks if Iran’s centrifuges were operational.

Officials estimate that if the entire stockpile were enriched to 90% purity, it could theoretically produce enough material for up to eleven nuclear weapons.

Discussions reportedly include several possible approaches. One scenario would involve physically removing the uranium from Iranian territory, while another would see nuclear specialists enter the facility to dilute the material, rendering it unusable for weapons production.

Such a mission could involve special forces alongside nuclear experts, potentially including personnel from the International Atomic Energy Agency.

However, officials acknowledge that the operation would be logistically and militarily complex, requiring forces to enter heavily protected underground nuclear facilities during an active conflict.

Sources say the option would likely only be considered once Iran’s military capabilities had been sufficiently degraded to lower the risks for troops involved.

During a congressional briefing this week, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio suggested that securing the uranium might require direct intervention.

“Someone will have to go get it,” Rubio said, without specifying which forces might conduct the mission.

Speaking aboard Air Force One on Saturday, Trump did not rule out deploying ground troops, though he emphasized that such a decision would only be taken “for a very good reason.” He indicated that any operation would likely not occur immediately and could be considered later in the conflict.

Officials familiar with the talks stressed that the discussions center on limited, targeted operations by small special forces units, rather than a large-scale military invasion.

“People imagine a massive invasion, but that is not at all what is being considered,” one source familiar with the matter said.

At the same time, U.S. officials have reportedly examined additional measures aimed at increasing pressure on Iran, including the possibility of taking control of Kharg Island—the terminal through which roughly 90% of Iran’s oil exports pass.

According to American and Israeli officials, most of Iran’s enriched uranium remains stored in the underground tunnels at the Isfahan facility, with smaller quantities located at the nuclear sites in Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant and Natanz Nuclear Facility.

Early strikes during the conflict reportedly targeted access points to these facilities, with the aim of preventing the movement of nuclear material.