"The Most Complex in History".. Washington Studies New Plan to Seize Iranian Uranium

As diplomatic efforts regarding the Iranian nuclear program stumble, an unprecedented military scenario has returned within American security circles, based on executing a special operation to seize Iran's stockpile of enriched uranium directly from its nuclear facilities, in a mission that experts describe as potentially becoming 'the most complex in modern military history'.

According to a report published by the 'New York Post', US special operations forces are studying a scenario aimed at seizing Iranian nuclear materials instead of merely destroying them with airstrikes, amid the belief of some experts that current negotiations are not making sufficient progress to resolve the nuclear file.

Joseph Rodgers, deputy director of the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), said that the military option may be 'the most realistic means of getting rid of the Iranian nuclear materials currently existing', adding that the operation - if executed - would be among the most complex military operations ever.

Broad Ground Plan

The report indicates that the presumed scenario does not rely solely on special units, but requires a large-scale ground operation, including thousands of soldiers to secure nuclear facilities, remove explosives and booby traps, open entrances to sites that have been bombed, along with establishing a defensive cordon to prevent any counterattack during the mission.

After securing the sites, limited teams of elite forces take on the task of reaching the enriched uranium stores, handling them, and transporting them, a stage the report described as the most dangerous in the entire operation.

Rodgers emphasizes that the scale of logistical and military complexities makes the operation exceptional, pointing out that the Iranian army, despite suffering heavy losses, still possesses combat and organizational capabilities that exceed adversaries faced by US forces in previous operations.

Elite Units in the Forefront

The newspaper cited a report from The High Side website that the executing force may include elements from SEAL Team 6, the 2nd Ranger Battalion, in addition to the US Army's 21st Ordnance Battalion, specialized in handling hazardous materials.

This unit will be responsible for transporting any quantities of enriched uranium from facilities such as Fordow and Isfahan to safe locations outside Iran.

According to data from the International Atomic Energy Agency, Iran possessed, during the year 2025, more than 20,000 pounds of enriched uranium.

Battle Inside Tunnels

The report warns that the success of the operation does not depend only on reaching the facilities, but requires complete control of their surroundings, and securing evacuation routes all the way to military airports.

Rodgers said that US forces would need to create safe corridors around nuclear sites, and secure protected transport lines, while engineering teams would be forced to remove rubble and open entrances to partially destroyed facilities.

For his part, Richard Goldberg, former director of the Iranian Weapons of Mass Destruction confrontation file at the US National Security Council during the first administration of President Donald Trump, said that the biggest challenge lies in the ability of US forces to remain inside Iranian territory for the duration of the operation, while maintaining safe withdrawal lines.

Iran Prepares for Confrontation

According to the report, intelligence information indicates that Iran has strengthened defensive measures around the Isfahan facility, including planting explosives inside tunnels, erecting additional fortifications, and deploying forces to protect the facility's perimeter in anticipation of any attack.

Goldberg added that the element of surprise is no longer present, as Iran knows the targeted sites and is preparing for the possibility of special operations against them.

CNN had reported last month that Iran had planted mines and explosives inside the tunnels of the Isfahan facility in anticipation of any ground assault attempt.

Mount Axe.. The New Target

The report also touches on the 'Mount Axe' site, which has emerged in recent weeks as a potential target after reports spoke of hundreds of centrifuges being transferred to it from the Natanz facility.

Goldberg believes that any operation against this site would be different from Isfahan and Fordow, as it may be limited to infiltrating the facility, planting explosives to destroy it from the inside, then withdrawing quickly, if its destruction through airstrikes is not possible.

He added that the success of airstrikes against Iranian facilities depends on possessing accurate intelligence information about weaknesses in the engineering structure of nuclear sites, similar to strikes that previously targeted ventilation openings at the Fordow facility.

Although the report presents this scenario as one of the options being discussed within American security and military circles, it does not indicate a formal decision from Washington to implement such an operation, which experts describe as being among the most complex and dangerous military operations if it moves from the planning stage to execution.