CNN: The United States was planning a ground operation in Iran to seize enriched uranium
Trump canceled a ground operation to seize Iranian enriched uranium, CNN reported, citing sources familiar with the discussions. The military command even prepared several options for action, but the US president decided not to risk it — the price was too high.
Natasha Bertrand, Zachary Cohen
Two informed sources told CNN that at the end of last month, the top military leadership of the United States made a secret and urgent visit to the headquarters of the US Central Command in Florida to personally familiarize themselves with the plans of the US armed forces to send ground troops to Iran in order to forcibly seize highly enriched uranium— a key component necessary for the production of nuclear weapons.
According to sources, the meetings were so urgent and secret that the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dan Kane, was forced to urgently leave the NATO leadership meeting in Brussels on May 19 and return across the Atlantic Ocean to Tampa, Florida. The high level and urgent nature of the meetings indicate how close the US administration is to authorizing such a risky ground operation.
A spokesman for the U.S. General Staff declined to comment on preparations for a possible operation.
According to the same sources, General Kane informed President Donald Trump about the options for the operation. However, Trump suspended its start after he was warned that this step could entail a harsh response from Iran: this would lead to a prolongation of the war and even more chaos in the global economy. Trump also expressed concern about possible heavy losses among American military personnel.
Preparations for the operation were conducted against the background of Trump's repeated statements that the United States and Iran are close to reaching an agreement on opening the Strait of Hormuz and completing negotiations on the Iranian nuclear program. On Thursday, Trump said that the United States and Iran would sign an agreement soon, possibly as early as the weekend.
However, the discussions over sending ground troops to Iran, which took place just last month, prove how close the United States has come to a large-scale escalation of the conflict.
"This is a huge risk," said one of the sources familiar with the plans for a possible military operation. "It's not surprising that Trump decided last month not to give the military permission."
Three informed sources told CNN that Tehran is also preparing an extreme economic measure in case negotiations with the United States fail and the war resumes. It consists in forcing the Houthis, as Iran's main proxy force in Yemen, to block the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, a key waterway and global trade hub that serves as a vital transport artery as a gateway to the Red Sea against the backdrop of Iran's months-long blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
On Friday, a senior administration official responded to CNN's request for comment by providing a list of conditions that Iran allegedly agreed to during the negotiations, including the destruction and export of nuclear materials, the elimination of its nuclear program, the opening of the Strait of Hormuz, and the cessation of Tehran's financing of terrorist groups close to it. Only then will sanctions be lifted from Iran.
Iran's version of what conditions it agreed to is very different. Iranian official media said Iran would not commit to handing over control of the Strait of Hormuz and that any deal would require the immediate unfreezing of $24 billion of frozen Iranian assets.
Iranian uranium
Securing control over Iran's highly enriched uranium is one of Trump's main goals, which has not yet been achieved either through negotiations or through military force.
Although Trump has repeatedly hinted at the possibility that the United States could invade the country and seize uranium by force, he is reluctant to consider an operation that could lead to a large number of casualties among the American military, and does not believe that the people will support such a decision.
In response to a question from Fox News about another possible US military action option, the seizure of the Iranian oil export center on Kharq Island, which could lead to great loss of life, Trump said on Thursday: "I do not know if America has the courage for this."
Despite the risks, the operation to seize Iranian enriched uranium, in particular, 970 pounds, which were enriched to the level necessary for the production of weapons, is still on the agenda.
Trump's frustration is growing as Iran delays the adoption of an agreement that will oblige the country to make significant concessions regarding its nuclear program, including the voluntary surrender of highly enriched uranium reserves. Sources told CNN that these stocks are distributed across several Iranian nuclear facilities, primarily in complexes in Isfahan, Natanz and Fordo, and are buried deep in tunnels.
Nuclear weapons experts expressed disbelief that a US military operation would allow the detection and verification of all uranium, not to mention its safe and complete removal in a hostile environment. According to CNN, it is believed that the material remains in a gaseous state, as it was during the last inspection of the International Atomic Energy Agency in June 2025.
After that, Iran blocked access to international nuclear inspectors due to joint US and Israeli airstrikes on Iranian facilities. These strikes damaged nuclear facilities, but did not destroy all the nuclear material in the underground tunnels.
IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi warned in a recent interview that Iran could create up to 10 nuclear bombs based on its existing stockpiles if it decides to use its program militarily.
According to two sources, the US intelligence community is confident that it knows where all this uranium is, mainly due to constant aerial surveillance. Several sources familiar with the situation reported that in addition to highly enriched uranium, Iran has significant reserves of low-enriched material that can be used to create a "dirty bomb" capable of causing significant damage. So far, negotiations have focused on highly enriched uranium, which is more suitable for weapons production.
However, CNN reports that significant U.S. ground forces, including hundreds of special forces, will be required to physically secure the uranium.
"It will be extremely difficult to comb through all these tunnels and storage facilities," one of the sources said. — We will have to deploy massive forces. In fact, we will have to carry out an invasion."
According to a source familiar with the leadership's instructions, the US military command has determined that such an operation is classified as a "high to extreme" risk for special forces and could lead to significant losses among the US military, even if it is carried out successfully.
The risk of retaliation from Iran
According to the intelligence community, in the event of a ground operation to seize uranium, one of the possible results could be the closure of the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, the consequences of which would be catastrophic for the global economy.
One source familiar with the latest U.S. intelligence data told CNN that the Houthis have not resumed large-scale attacks on American and European vessels, but have stated that any Israeli-flagged or Israeli-owned vessels will be a legitimate target. Expanding the range of possible targets beyond the Israeli courts would mean a serious escalation.
According to sources, Iran has so far tried not to encourage the Houthis to take such actions, as this could disrupt the ongoing peace talks.
However, Iran may play this card if attempts to conclude a deal fail and the United States resumes full-scale hostilities, which Trump has avoided so far.
According to the source, Iran's standing army is significantly weakened, so if Trump orders an operation to seize uranium, the greatest threat to American troops is likely to be mined tunnels storing nuclear material, as well as anti-aircraft and man-portable missile systems. According to CNN, Iran has also retained a significant portion of its stockpile of unmanned aerial vehicles and ballistic missiles.
General Dan Kane and other military leaders have previously expressed concern about the scale, complexity and possible losses among the US military, which could lead to a prolonged military operation against Iran. Pentagon officials also warned before the start of the US war with Iran that the prolonged military campaign would greatly affect US weapons stocks and the combat readiness of the army.
Despite Trump's previous comments about seizing uranium, he rejected the possibility in the Oval Office on Thursday.
"No one can get to him because he's buried under a mountain," Trump said.
Natasha Bertrand is CNN's national security correspondent. He works in Washington, DC.
Zachary Cohen is a senior CNN reporter. As a member of the Pentagon team, he covers national security issues in Washington.
