Iran Conflict | Reports Suggest Trump Planning to Seize Iran's Enriched Uranium or Deploy Special Forces

【Iran/Trump/Enriched Uranium/Nuclear Facilities/Middle East】The United States and Israel continue military actions against Iran. Reports indicate that Washington is developing strategic plans to acquire Iran’s enriched uranium.

CBS News reports that in the early stages of the Iran conflict, U.S. and Israeli forces focused on weakening Iran’s conventional military capabilities, including air defense systems, missile systems, and key infrastructure related to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). However, recently, the Trump administration has shifted toward a longer-term goal—ensuring Iran can no longer produce nuclear weapons, as initially proposed at the start of the conflict.

Sources who have reviewed related briefings say the planning involves methods and options for obtaining or transporting Iran’s nuclear materials, with ongoing discussions about deploying special forces—elite military units often tasked with the most sensitive counter-nuclear proliferation missions.

One source noted that Trump has not yet made any decisions.

Israel previously claimed to have destroyed Iran’s military industry and nuclear infrastructure

Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu held his first live press conference since the conflict began on the 19th of this month, claiming that Israel has destroyed Iran’s military industry and nuclear infrastructure, and that Iran no longer has the capability to produce nuclear material or ballistic missiles, though no evidence was provided.

According to data from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), as of last summer, Iran had accumulated about 441 kilograms of uranium enriched to 60%, just one step away from weapons-grade material. Most of this uranium remains buried beneath nuclear facilities that were bombed during a U.S. military operation last summer.

U.S. dropped massive bunker-buster bombs on Iran’s nuclear facilities last year

In June last year, the U.S. launched an attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities called “Operation Midnight Hammer.” Using B-2 stealth bombers, supported by decoys and escort, the U.S. dropped two GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrators (bunker-buster bombs) on the Fordow nuclear site, followed by 12 more of these bombs on other targets. U.S. submarines also launched 30 Tomahawk cruise missiles targeting Natanz and Isfahan nuclear facilities. Secretary of State Blinken described this as the largest B-2 operation in U.S. history.

Middle East Situation | Trump: U.S. nearing achieving war objectives against Iran, considering scaling back military actions

Middle East Situation | Reports say the U.S. has dispatched three warships to the Middle East and is increasing troop numbers by several thousand.