How Dangerous Is Seizing Iran’s Uranium for the US?
US President Donald Trump has reportedly made a military operation to seize Iran’s enriched uranium a key strategic objective. Iran possesses approximately 440 kilograms of uranium enriched to 60 percent, which could potentially be further enriched to 90 percent to manufacture nuclear weapons. The idea of US forces raiding a secret underground nuclear facility in Iran to capture this enriched uranium may initially seem improbable. However, recent reports indicate that President Trump has prioritized this mission as a central strategic goal.
To prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons, Trump is said to be considering the option of seizing its nuclear stockpile. Military experts and former US defense officials warn that such an operation would not only be extremely difficult but also highly risky for the United States. The mission would require deploying a large ground force and could take weeks, not just days, to complete. In pursuit of strategic objectives and various options, the Trump administration appears to be keeping multiple military alternatives open to apply pressure on Iran.
According to senior US officials, at the onset of any potential conflict, Iran holds around 440 kilograms of uranium enriched to 60 percent, which could be rapidly refined to 90 percent and converted into weapons-grade material. Additionally, Iran is estimated to have about 1,000 kilograms of uranium enriched to 20 percent and 8,500 kilograms enriched to 3.6 percent. Nevertheless, the White House has stated that no decisions have been made regarding this issue.
Analysts suggest that the US could deploy its 82nd Airborne Division to secure areas around Isfahan and Natanz. Following this, specially trained forces would attempt to enter underground tunnels to extract the uranium. Typically, uranium is stored in large metal containers in gaseous form. However, accessing these tunnels may require heavy equipment to clear accumulated debris. Throughout this operation, US troops would be exposed to continuous and significant risks.