Trump Weighs Special Forces Raid to Seize Iranian Uranium

President Donald Trump is weighing the deployment of special operations forces to seize or destroy approximately 450 kilograms of 60%-enriched uranium stored in deep underground tunnels in Iran. The potential operation focuses on facilities in Isfahan, Natanz, and Fordow, where material remains entombed under rubble from U.S. and Israeli strikes conducted in June 2025. While Trump has stated he is not deploying troops now, he has kept the option open, suggesting a raid may occur once Iranian forces are sufficiently decimated.

The current military campaign, including Operation Epic Fury, has targeted the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and ballistic missile sites. Despite claims from the administration that previous strikes obliterated Iran's nuclear program, intelligence indicates Iranian workers are attempting to regain access to buried stockpiles. The International Atomic Energy Agency warns that extracting the material, stored as uranium hexafluoride gas, would be extremely hazardous. To support such a mission, the U.S. has stationed MC-130J aircraft at RAF Mildenhall in the United Kingdom.

Diplomatic efforts failed after U.S. negotiators rejected Iranian proposals to blend down nuclear material. Internally, the administration faced friction with the resignation of National Counterterrorism Center Director Joe Kent, who argued Iran posed no imminent threat. Meanwhile, the Iranian military has declared ground attacks a red line, threatening to destroy coastal areas in the United Arab Emirates if Iranian islands are targeted. Trump has explicitly ruled out a ceasefire, stating that the U.S. is close to meeting its objectives while it continues to decimate Iranian capabilities.