Trump weighs military operation to seize Iranian uranium stockpile

US President Donald Trump is weighing a potential military operation to extract nearly 1,000 pounds of uranium from Iran, US officials said, a complex mission that would likely involve American forces operating inside the country for days or longer.

According to the Wall Street Journal, president has not made a final decision, the officials said, as he considers the risks to US troops and broader implications of such an operation. "It's the job of the Pentagon to make preparations in order to give the commander-in-chief maximum optionality. It does not mean the president has made a decision," White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said.

Trump remains generally open to the idea because it could support his goal of preventing Iran from developing a nuclear weapon, the officials added.

Trump has also encouraged advisers to press Iran to agree to surrender the material as part of efforts to end the conflict, according to a person familiar with his thinking. He has told political allies that Iran should not retain the uranium and has discussed the possibility of seizing it by force if it is not handed over through negotiations.

Third countries including Pakistan, Turkey and Egypt have acted as intermediaries between Washington and Tehran, but the two sides have not yet held direct talks to resolve the war.

On Sunday night, Trump told reporters Iran must comply with US demands or "they're not going to have a country". Referring to the uranium, he said, "They're going to give us the nuclear dust".

Before US and Israeli airstrikes on Iran in June last year, the country was believed to possess more than 400 kilograms of 60% enriched uranium and nearly 200 kilograms of 20% fissile material, according to officials and experts. That material can be further enriched to weapons-grade levels.

International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Grossi has said the uranium is believed to be primarily stored at two sites targeted in the strikes: an underground tunnel at the Isfahan nuclear complex and a cache at Natanz. Experts say Iran retains centrifuges capable of further enrichment and could establish additional underground facilities.

A person familiar with internal discussions said Trump and some advisers believe a targeted operation could retrieve the material without significantly extending the timeline of the war, potentially allowing it to conclude by mid-April.

Trump has said privately he does not want a prolonged conflict, and some aides are focused on other priorities, including upcoming midterm elections in which Republicans could face losses, according to the person.

Former military officials and analysts said any attempt to seize the uranium would be highly complex and likely provoke retaliation from Iran, potentially extending the conflict beyond the 4–6 week timeframe outlined by the administration.

Operations would likely require aircraft to insert forces under the threat of Iranian air defences, followed by ground troops securing sites so engineers could search debris and check for explosives. Specialised units would then be needed to handle and transport radioactive material.

The uranium is believed to be stored in roughly 40 to 50 cylinders similar in size to scuba tanks, according to Richard Nephew, a senior research scholar at Columbia University and a former US nuclear negotiator. Transporting the material would require protective containers and multiple vehicles.

Retired Gen. Joseph Votel, a former commander of United States Central Command, said the extraction effort would be highly complex, adding that "this is not a quick in and out kind of deal".

The Pentagon is preparing contingency options, including positioning rapid-response units such as Marine forces and elements of the Army's 82nd Airborne Division in the region, a US official said. Officials have also discussed the possibility of deploying additional troops to provide more operational flexibility.

US officials said as many as 10,000 additional ground troops could be considered for deployment, depending on the president's decisions.

Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said earlier this month the US prefers a negotiated outcome but has military options if Iran refuses to relinquish the material. "the president has kept his eye focused on nuclear capabilities," Hegseth said on 13 March.

Discussing possible outcomes, he added, "We have a range of options, up to and including Iran deciding that they will give those up, which of course we would welcome".

On the extent of US planning, Hegseth said, "I would not, never tell this group or the world what we're willing to do or how far we're willing to go, but we have options, for sure".

The US has previously carried out operations to remove enriched uranium from foreign countries through negotiated transfers, including efforts in Kazakhstan in 1994 and near Tbilisi in 1998, according to historical accounts.

Trump has not publicly confirmed whether he would approve a uranium retrieval mission. On Saturday, he urged supporters on social media to watch a programme on Fox News in which commentator Mark Levin advocated for seizing the uranium.

Over the past week, Trump has also called for a diplomatic resolution, urging Iran to dismantle its nuclear activities as part of a negotiated settlement, while Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said the US aims to achieve its objectives without deploying ground forces.

US officials say Iran is not currently enriching uranium but would need to do so and develop a warhead to become a nuclear weapons state. Iran does not currently possess an intercontinental ballistic missile capable of reaching the US mainland, though assessments suggest it could develop such capability over time if it modifies existing launch systems.