Trump Weighs Risky Military Operation to Seize Iran’s Uranium Stockpile

President Donald Trump is considering a military operation to extract Iran’s uranium stockpile, U.S. officials said, as the White House weighs the risks to American troops and the possibility of diplomatic resolution.

President Donald Trump is weighing a potential military operation aimed at extracting nearly 1,000 pounds of highly enriched uranium from Iran, according to U.S. officials cited in a report by The Wall Street Journal. The plan, still under review, would represent a complex and dangerous mission potentially involving American forces operating inside Iranian territory.

Officials said Trump has not made a final decision but remains open to the proposal, which aligns with his stated goal of preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon. The president is reportedly considering both the operational risks and the potential consequences for U.S. troops.

According to the report, the proposed mission would likely require U.S. forces to enter Iran for several days or longer, operating under the threat of Iranian surface-to-air missiles, drones, and other defensive systems.

Military experts cited in the discussion said troops would need to secure targeted sites before engineers could search through debris and locate uranium storage containers. The material is believed to be stored in multiple specialized cylinders requiring secure transport casks.

Retired military officials warned that such an operation would be among the most complex ever considered, with significant risks of escalation and retaliation from Iran.

Trump has reportedly encouraged advisers to press Iran to surrender the uranium as part of a potential peace settlement. He has also emphasized to allies that Tehran must not retain the material, and has at times discussed the possibility of seizure if negotiations fail.

Diplomatic intermediaries, including Pakistan, Türkiye and Egypt, have reportedly played roles in facilitating communication between Washington and Tehran, although no direct talks to end the conflict have taken place.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said preparations by the Pentagon are intended to provide “maximum optionality,” stressing that no decision has been made.

The report states that some U.S. officials and advisers believe the operation could be completed without significantly prolonging the conflict, potentially allowing the administration to conclude hostilities within weeks. However, others warn it could trigger wider escalation and extend the war far beyond current expectations.

Trump has reportedly expressed reluctance toward a prolonged military engagement and is also balancing domestic political considerations, including upcoming U.S. elections.

Experts noted that extracting radioactive material from a conflict zone would require specialized special operations forces and secure transport logistics, potentially involving makeshift airfields and multiple extraction convoys.

The United States has previously conducted similar removals of nuclear material in peaceful operations, including in Kazakhstan in 1994 under “Project Sapphire,” and a joint U.S.-UK operation in Georgia in 1998.

U.S. officials cited in the report said Iran is not currently enriching uranium to weapons-grade levels, though concerns remain about its capacity to resume enrichment and develop delivery systems in the future.