US to consider seizing Irans enriched uranium amid escalating tensions

US President Donald Trump reportedly considers dispatching US special forces to Iran to seize the country’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium. The operation would pose significant challenges, according to experts.

Iran has maintained that its nuclear program is for civilian energy purposes only, despite having enriched uranium beyond the required threshold. In 2015, the former Obama administration negotiated the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) with Iran and other nations, under which Iran agreed not to enrich uranium to high levels and to be subject to frequent inspections.

Currently, Iran is believed to have approximately 440 kilograms of uranium enriched to 60 percent. This amount is sufficient to produce more than 10 nuclear warheads, according to International Atomic Energy Agency chief Rafael Grossi. The uranium is stored in underground facilities, including the Isfahan and Natanz sites, which were damaged or destroyed in US-Israeli air strikes last year.

Experts warn that a military operation to extract the enriched uranium would face substantial chemical, logistical, and tactical hurdles. Transporting US forces over long distances through an active warzone would be particularly challenging. Securing a perimeter around the site and holding it for an extended period would also require significant resources.

Jason Campbell, senior fellow at the Middle East Institute, stated that sending advanced units to secure the area and extract the uranium is “risky and not feasible.” Cheryl Rofer, former radiochemist at Los Alamos National Laboratory, estimates that the uranium is likely stored in hexafluoride gas form, which is difficult to handle.

The feasibility of a military operation to seize Iran’s enriched uranium remains uncertain.

Source: Al Jazeera