WASHINGTON — The U.S. military has prepared contingency plans for a potential ground operation to seize Iran's remaining stockpile of highly enriched uranium from underground nuclear facilities, but President Donald Trump has paused further action on the proposal, officials said.
The plans were briefed to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff during a rushed visit to U.S. Central Command headquarters in Florida late last month, according to people familiar with the matter. The operation would involve sending hundreds of special operations forces into Iran to secure material at sites including Isfahan, Natanz and Fordow, which were damaged in previous U.S. and Israeli strikes.
Iran possesses an estimated 440 kilograms of uranium enriched to 60 percent, a level close to weapons-grade, much of which is believed to be stored underground at the Isfahan facility and buried under rubble from earlier airstrikes, U.S. intelligence assessments indicate. The material was not destroyed in the June 2025 strikes on the sites, officials have said.
Military planners assessed that securing the stockpile would require a significant ground presence beyond a small special operations team, potentially including support forces to establish a perimeter and handle the radioactive material, sources told CNN and other outlets. The mission carries a "high to extreme" risk level and could expose U.S. troops to Iranian retaliation.
"The U.S. military has given the president a plan to seize nearly 1,000 pounds of highly enriched uranium in Iran that would involve flying in excavation equipment and building a runway for cargo planes to take the radioactive material out," according to people familiar with the discussions reported by The Washington Post in April.
The contingency planning comes amid ongoing tensions following U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear and military targets in 2025 and early 2026. Those operations damaged enrichment facilities but left questions about the location and accessibility of Iran's pre-existing enriched uranium stockpile, the International Atomic Energy Agency has noted. Iran has not allowed IAEA inspectors access since the initial strikes.
Iranian officials have stated that the enriched uranium remains in the country, with some material reportedly under rubble at the affected sites. Tehran has denied pursuing nuclear weapons and criticized the U.S. actions as aggression.
A senior U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said that while options remain under review, no decision has been made to proceed with any ground deployment. Trump has publicly indicated that ground troops could be considered only "for a very good reason."
As of June 13, 2026, the Pentagon had no immediate comment on the status of the planning. U.S. officials continue to monitor Iran's nuclear activities through intelligence means while pursuing diplomatic efforts alongside partners to address proliferation concerns. Details on the exact scope and timeline of any potential operation remain unclear.
The developments highlight the complex challenges in securing nuclear material in a conflict zone, with military leaders emphasizing the logistical and safety difficulties involved in any such mission. Iranian state media has warned against any further U.S. incursions.
