Trump Weighs Risky Military Op to Seize Iran's Nuclear Stockpiles

According to CBS News, while the timing of any such operation, if Trump orders it remains unclear, one of the source said that the US President is yet to make a decision about it. However, plans have centred around the possible deployment of forces from the secretive Joint Special Operations Command- America's elite military unit often tasked with the most sensitive counter-proliferation missions, according to two sources to CBS News.

CBS News reported that as of last summer, Iran had amassed about 972 pounds of 60%-enriched uranium, which is a short step away from weapons-grade material, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency. It added that much of that uranium remains buried underneath nuclear sites that were bombed by the US last year as part of Operation Midnight Hammer.

While US officials have said that the Trump administration has not ruled out plans to retrieve Iranian stockpiles, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said earlier this week that "it's an option on the table for him."

A mission to seize the uranium would be potentially risky.

IAEA's Director-General Rafael Grossi told CBS News that while it is not impossible, the action would require "incredible military capabilities".

"We're talking about cylinders containing gas of highly contaminated uranium hexafluoride at 60%, so it's very difficult to handle", he added.

The CBS report mentioned that the US intelligence community has assessed last spring that Tehran was not trying to build a nuclear weapon and has been insisting that its nuclear program is solely for peaceful purposes. With Iran's enriched uranium levels at 60%, the IAEA has said Iran is the only non-nuclear-weapon state to enrich uranium to that level.

Before the conflict broke out in West Asia, the US and Iran were engaged in several rounds of talks aimed at addressing the country's nuclear program. According to Oman's Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi, who helped mediate the negotiations, the discussions between Washington and Tehran also revolved around blending Iran's highly enriched uranium down to a lower level and converting it to fuel.

The development comes on the heels of the message by the US President on Truth Social, where he said that the United States is on the verge of meeting its objectives as it considers winding down operations against Iran.

Meanwhile, the US Department of War shared an update on the developments in the past week, saying that thousands of Iranian targets were hit in Operation Epic Fury.

The US Central Command forces have damaged or sunk more than 120 Iranian naval vessels, including all 11 of their submarines.

Earlier this week, Trump, Hegseth and Air Force Gen Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, paid tributes to the six crew members of KC-135 Stratotanker, who, along with seven other service members, lost their lives in Operation Epic Fury.

"The targets pursued under Operation Epic Fury include command and control centres; Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps headquarters and intelligence sites; air defence systems; ballistic missile, anti-ship missile and surface-to-air missile sites; weapon production and storage bunkers; military infrastructure and communications capabilities; and naval ships and submarines," the post said.

Amid the ongoing conflict, Trump said Washington is not seeking a ceasefire. Speaking outside the White House, he said, "We can have dialogue, but I don't want to do a ceasefire. You don't do a ceasefire when you're literally obliterating the other side. We're not looking to do that."

- ANI