Informed sources revealed that the US administration is considering, in coordination with Israel, the idea of sending teams of special forces into Iran at a later stage of the war, with the aim of protecting the stock of highly enriched uranium and preventing its use in making a nuclear weapon.
According to a special report published by the Axios website, based on four sources familiar with the secret discussions, this potential operation may represent a shift in the nature of the confrontation from air attacks to limited and precise ground operations inside fortified underground nuclear sites.
Preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon is a main goal set by US President Donald Trump for this war, while military planners are focusing on Iran’s stockpile of 60% enriched uranium, which is estimated at about 450 kilograms.
American and Israeli estimates indicate that this amount can be converted within weeks to the level of enrichment required to make a nuclear weapon, which may be sufficient to produce about 11 nuclear bombs if the enrichment rate is raised to more than 90%.
Any such operation faces significant military and logistical challenges, as it requires penetrating strong Iranian defenses and entering underground tunnels in a raging war zone.
There is still ambiguity about the nature of the force that may carry out the operation, whether it is American or Israeli forces or a joint force between the two parties.
According to the sources, the implementation of the operation depends on a basic condition, which is the conviction of Washington and Tel Aviv that the Iranian army will not be able to threaten the special forces while carrying out their mission.
In a closed meeting with Congress, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio was asked about the fate of Iranian uranium, and he replied succinctly: “People will have to go and get it,” without specifying who is responsible for this mission.
For his part, US President Donald Trump stated that he does not rule out sending special forces into Iran at a later stage.
He explained during his speech on Air Force One: “If we do this one day, the Iranians will be destroyed to the point that they will not be able to fight at the ground level.”
He added: “We may do that at some point. We have not targeted it yet, and we will not do it now, but we may do it later.”
In parallel, the US administration is considering two options for dealing with the Iranian nuclear stockpile, which are either transferring it completely outside Iran, or reducing its enrichment level within its original location with the help of nuclear experts.
Current discussions within the US administration also revealed the possibility of controlling the strategic “Kharg” Island, through which about 90% of Iran’s oil exports pass, in a step that may represent great economic pressure on Tehran.
On the other hand, it is estimated that previous American and Israeli strikes led to the Iranian uranium stock being hidden under layers of rubble inside nuclear sites, especially in Isfahan, Natanz, and Fordow.
American officials confirm that any potential ground movement will not be a traditional invasion, but rather limited operations carried out by special units through precise raids on specific targets.
