For months, the war against Iran’s nuclear programme has been fought from the air — precision strikes on missile batteries, naval assets, and industrial infrastructure. But a new front may be opening, one that would require American boots on the ground deep inside Iranian territory and could become, in the words of one former defence official, “one of the most complicated special operations in history.”
According to a Wall Street Journal report, the Trump administration is weighing an audacious military option: deploying US ground forces to physically seize Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium — the material that, if further processed, could fuel a nuclear weapon.
The White House confirmed President Trump has not yet made a final decision. In a CBS News interview, Trump offered a telling comment: “It’s down there deep. So… it’s pretty safe. But, you know, we’ll make a determination.”
The Scale of the Problem
Iran’s uranium stockpile is substantial. At the start of the war, Iran held approximately 440 kilograms of uranium enriched to 60% purity — a level convertible to weapons-grade material within weeks. The country also holds roughly 1,000 kilograms enriched to 20%, and more than 8,500 kilograms at 3.6%.
The majority of the highly enriched material is believed to be concentrated at Isfahan — one of three underground nuclear facilities targeted in last year’s Operation Midnight Hammer. Additional quantities may be stored at Fordo and Natanz. IAEA inspectors have not visited any of these sites since being evacuated during the 2025 air campaign, leaving significant intelligence gaps.
“The ideal scenario is that you know exactly where it is,” said Jason Campbell, a former senior US defence official. “If it’s been dispersed to four different sites, then you’re talking about a whole different level of complexity.”
What an Operation Would Look Like
Military experts consulted by the BBC outlined the shape such a mission might take. Elements of the 82nd Airborne Division — already deployed to the Middle East — would likely secure the perimeter around the target sites. Specialist special operations forces trained in handling nuclear material would then move in to retrieve the uranium, believed to be stored in gaseous form inside large metal containers buried in sealed underground tunnels.
The challenge is layered. Satellite imagery from February showed Isfahan’s tunnel entrances sealed with earth — meaning US forces would need heavy machinery to excavate access points before even locating the material, all while facing potential counterattacks.
“You’ve first got to excavate the site and detect the enriched uranium while likely being under near constant threat,” Campbell warned.
Isfahan’s geography deepens the risk: 300 miles (482 kilometres) inland, it is Iran’s third-largest city. Medical evacuations would be difficult. Anti-aircraft fire would be a constant hazard during ingress and egress.
The Verdict From Military Experts
Mick Mulroy, former deputy assistant secretary of defence for the Middle East, was unsparing in his assessment: “Removing the uranium stockpile would be one of the most complicated special operations in history.”
Alex Plitsas, a former US defence official and nonresident senior fellow at the Scowcroft Middle East Security Initiative, acknowledged that the US-Israel campaign has degraded Iranian capabilities — but said any ground operation would still be “high risk.”
Once retrieved, the uranium would either be airlifted to the United States for dilution — the faster option — or diluted on site, a more time-consuming and logistically demanding process.
“You’ve got basically a half ton of what’s effectively weapons-grade uranium that you’ve got to extricate,” said Jonathan Ruhe of the Jewish Institute for National Security of America. “And there are a million things that could go wrong.”
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