US Reportedly Considering Major Military Operation to Seize Iran's Enriched Uranium

The United States is reportedly considering a major military operation involving thousands of ground troops to seize enriched uranium from Iranian nuclear facilities, according to a report by the New York Post on Saturday (25/7). “I hate to say it, but I think the best way to get rid of Iran’s nuclear material, at least what they control now, is through a military operation because the current negotiations are deadlocked,” a military source told the conservative newspaper. The operation would involve storming Iranian nuclear sites, with ground forces tasked with neutralising traps and securing the target locations by establishing a defensive perimeter. A small team of special forces would then be responsible for directly extracting the enriched uranium. The report noted that the US would also need to maintain full control of air corridors to safely land aircraft for the mission. Earlier, on Thursday (23/7), an Iranian military source stated that the country’s armed forces had conducted training for various US attack scenarios and were prepared for a potential ground invasion. A peace memorandum between the US and Iran, signed on 18 June to halt a conflict that began on 28 February, collapsed after US forces resumed strikes on 8 July. US Central Command (CENTCOM) claimed the attacks were in retaliation for Iranian actions against commercial vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz, prompting Iranian counter-strikes on US bases in the Middle East. President Trump subsequently declared the ceasefire agreement no longer in effect.