The United States and Israel are weighing the possibility of sending special forces into Iran to secure the Islamic Republic’s reserves of highly enriched uranium, according to an Axios report.
The proposed mission would aim to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, one of the goals outlined by U.S. President Donald Trump amid the ongoing conflict, the report said on March 8.
According to The New York Times, Iran’s main stockpile of highly enriched uranium is currently buried beneath the nuclear facility in Isfahan following U.S. strikes carried out last year.
Intelligence officials, however, believe that Iran, or potentially another group, could still access the material through a narrow entry point that remains reachable, the newspaper said.
U.S. officials said American intelligence agencies are closely monitoring the site and are confident they would detect any attempt to move the uranium.
The material is stored in gaseous form inside sealed containers, although it remains uncertain how quickly Iran could relocate it if access were obtained.
American and Israeli officials estimate that Iran holds around 450 kilograms (about 970 pounds) of uranium enriched to 60 percent, most of which is believed to be stored at the Isfahan facility.
While nuclear weapons typically require uranium enriched to roughly 90 percent, experts note that raising enrichment levels from 60 percent to weapons-grade could take only a few weeks if Iran’s centrifuges were operating.
Officials also say that if the entire stockpile were enriched to 90 percent, it could theoretically provide enough material for as many as eleven nuclear weapons.
The discussions reportedly include several possible options. One scenario involves removing the uranium from Iran altogether, while another would involve sending nuclear experts into the facility to dilute the material so it can no longer be used to produce weapons. Such an operation could involve special forces working alongside nuclear specialists, potentially including personnel from the International Atomic Energy Agency.
However, officials acknowledged that such a mission would be both logistically and militarily challenging, as it would require forces to enter heavily fortified underground nuclear facilities during an ongoing conflict.
