US troops storming a secretive, underground nuclear facility to seize Iran's stockpile of enriched uranium may sound far-fetched, but it is an option President Donald Trump is reportedly considering to achieve his main objective in the war: preventing the regime from developing nuclear weapons.
Such an operation would be extremely challenging and fraught with danger, according to military experts and former US defense officials who spoke to the BBC. They said it would require the deployment of ground troops and could take several days or even weeks to complete.
Removing the uranium stockpile would be one of the 'most complicated special operations in history,' said Mick Mulroy, a former deputy assistant secretary of defense for the Middle East.
This scenario is only one of the military actions Trump could pursue in Iran. Others include the US taking control of Kharg Island to pressure Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz fully. The administration may also be using the threat of new military operations to push Iran to the negotiating table.
In a telephone interview with CBS News, Trump declined to confirm whether it's possible to declare victory without addressing Iran's enriched uranium stockpile but noted, 'That's so deeply buried it's gonna be very hard for anybody.'
Experts warn that even if the US identifies where the enriched uranium is stored, it would require careful planning to navigate the challenges associated with extracting it and handling the backlash from Iran. The complexities of the operation may mean that 'a million things could go wrong.'
Such an operation would be extremely challenging and fraught with danger, according to military experts and former US defense officials who spoke to the BBC. They said it would require the deployment of ground troops and could take several days or even weeks to complete.
Removing the uranium stockpile would be one of the 'most complicated special operations in history,' said Mick Mulroy, a former deputy assistant secretary of defense for the Middle East.
This scenario is only one of the military actions Trump could pursue in Iran. Others include the US taking control of Kharg Island to pressure Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz fully. The administration may also be using the threat of new military operations to push Iran to the negotiating table.
In a telephone interview with CBS News, Trump declined to confirm whether it's possible to declare victory without addressing Iran's enriched uranium stockpile but noted, 'That's so deeply buried it's gonna be very hard for anybody.'
Experts warn that even if the US identifies where the enriched uranium is stored, it would require careful planning to navigate the challenges associated with extracting it and handling the backlash from Iran. The complexities of the operation may mean that 'a million things could go wrong.'
