Washington (Monitoring Desk): The US news website Axios has reported that United States is reportedly considering sending special forces to seize Iran’s nuclear material.
According to the report, the US and Israel have discussed a potential military operation to secure Iran’s highly enriched uranium stockpiles. Donald Trump is reportedly reviewing options to deploy troops to Iran for specific targets.
One of the administration’s key objectives is to prevent Iran from ever obtaining nuclear weapons. Iran is believed to possess approximately 450 kilograms of 60% enriched uranium, which is considered critical as it could be further enriched to weapons-grade within weeks.
The operation could require US or Israeli forces to enter Iranian territory and reach underground nuclear facilities. It remains unclear whether the mission would be carried out solely by the US, Israel, or a joint force.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Congress that securing the enriched uranium would require on-site action but did not clarify who would execute the operation.
A US official stated that the administration is considering two possibilities: transporting the uranium out of Iran or sending nuclear experts to reduce enrichment on-site. The mission could involve special forces alongside scientists, potentially including experts from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
The report also mentions that US officials have discussed the possibility of seizing Iran’s major oil export hub, Kharg Island, which handles nearly 90% of the country’s crude oil exports.
