US considering ground raid to seize Iran’s enriched uranium: report

American Special Operations forces are preparing for what experts describe as potentially “the most sophisticated operation in military history” — a ground raid to seize Iran’s remaining enriched uranium from heavily fortified nuclear sites, according to a report by The New York Post.

A source familiar with military planning told the Post that the complex mission would require thousands of ground troops to storm facilities such as Isfahan, Fordow, and Natanz’s Pickaxe Mountain.

Forces would need to navigate booby traps, employ construction crews to dig out destroyed entrances, secure large defensive perimeters, and maintain a blocking force against Iranian counterattacks while a smaller special operations team conducts the actual retrieval of the material.

“I hate to say it, but I think the most likely way to get rid of Iran’s nuclear material, at least what they currently have, is a military operation because the negotiations aren’t going anywhere fast,” said Joseph Rodgers, deputy director of the Center for Strategic and International Studies’ Project on Nuclear Issues.

He added: “I think this would be one of the most, if not the most, sophisticated operations in military history. This would be a logistically heavy and difficult operation in a contested environment.”

The International Atomic Energy Agency reported that Iran held upwards of 20,000 pounds of enriched uranium prior to major strikes, including material enriched up to 60 percent — a short technical step from weapons-grade levels.

Much of that stockpile is believed to remain intact beneath rubble or in hardened tunnels despite earlier airstrikes.

Units potentially involved include SEAL Team 6’s Silver Squadron, the 2nd Ranger Battalion, and the Army’s 21st Ordnance Company for handling the radioactive material.

Richard Goldberg, a former White House National Security Council official focused on countering Iranian weapons of mass destruction, highlighted the challenges: “You need to create a secure perimeter around all of the sites… So how long can you sustain that and still be able to exfiltrate all of your forces?”

He noted reports of Iran hardening Isfahan with mines and explosives in the tunnels, adding,

“There is no element of surprise at the moment. The targets are fixed. We know where they are. The Iranians know where they are.”

Diplomacy has stalled despite a June memorandum of understanding aimed at ending hostilities, reopening the Strait of Hormuz, and addressing the nuclear program.

Technical talks have focused more on shipping and interim issues than a final resolution of the enriched uranium stockpile, with US officials insisting Iran must relinquish the material for meaningful sanctions relief.

Earlier reporting from April indicated the military had already briefed President Trump on a similar seizure plan involving excavation equipment and temporary runways.