US may need to deploy major ground troops to seize Iran's underground uranium: CNN

The United States may need to deploy a significant number of ground troops if it attempts to recover Iran’s remaining stockpile of highly enriched uranium believed to be stored deep underground, according to several current and former officials familiar with military planning.

Sources told CNN that discussions within the administration of Donald Trump have considered the possibility of sending troops to retrieve the material, which is essential for building nuclear weapons. Such an operation would go far beyond limited special operations missions and could mark a major escalation in the conflict.

A US bombing campaign that targeted three Iranian nuclear facilities last June failed to eliminate all of Iran’s highly enriched uranium. Much of the remaining stockpile is believed to be located at the Isfahan nuclear facility, said three of the seven current and former officials familiar with the military planning CNN sources.

Trump has repeatedly stated that the complete dismantling of Iran’s nuclear capability remains a central objective of the war. However, retrieving the uranium would involve a complex and risky mission requiring troops on the ground to secure, transport or neutralise tons of highly radioactive material.

Officials also indicated that Iranian authorities have been working for months to clear debris from the above-ground structures damaged in the strikes and regain access to underground tunnels where the uranium is believed to be stored.

According to Rafael Grossi, head of the Atomic Energy Agency, roughly 200 kilograms of highly enriched uranium is likely still located at the Isfahan site, with additional material believed to be stored at the Natanz nuclear facility.

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