Sources: Trump Formulating Plan to Seize Iran's Nuclear Material Reserves

According to multiple informed sources, as the U.S.-led military operations against Iran, primarily involving Israel, enter a more uncertain phase, the Trump administration has begun developing plans and alternative strategies to control or divert Iran’s nuclear materials.

As of Friday evening, even if President Trump orders such actions, the specific timing remains unclear. One source said he has not yet made a decision.

However, two sources revealed that the planning has focused on potentially deploying highly classified units from the Joint Special Operations Command, an elite military force typically responsible for the most sensitive counterproliferation missions.

A White House spokesperson stated that developing contingency plans is the responsibility of the Pentagon.

The Pentagon has not immediately commented.

On Friday evening, Trump posted on the “Real Social” platform: “We are very close to achieving our goal and are considering gradually ending major military operations in the Middle East targeting the Iranian terrorist regime.”

The secret negotiations regarding nuclear materials come amid escalating conflict. Early in the current military campaign, the focus was on destroying Iran’s conventional military capabilities, including air defense systems, missile facilities, and critical infrastructure related to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.

The initial strikes by the U.S. and Israel aimed to weaken Iran’s ability to retaliate regionally. However, despite intense airstrikes, Iran was still able to retaliate against Israel and U.S. allies in the Gulf region, and threatened ships, causing most oil shipments to be disrupted.

Iranian drones attacked a U.S. military base in Kuwait, killing six U.S. personnel and injuring dozens; another U.S. service member was killed in an attack in Saudi Arabia. Last week, a U.S. refueling aircraft crashed in Iraq, resulting in six American deaths.

Recently, the Trump administration has shifted focus to a longer-term goal initially proposed by Trump at the start of the conflict: ensuring Iran no longer has the capability to produce nuclear weapons.

According to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), as of last summer, Iran had stockpiled about 972 pounds of 60% enriched uranium, just one step away from weapons-grade nuclear material. Most of this uranium remains buried underground at nuclear facilities bombed by U.S. forces last summer.

U.S. officials have indicated that the Trump administration has not ruled out the possibility of attempting to seize Iran’s high-enriched uranium reserves during current military operations. White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters earlier this week, “That is an option on the table.”

Any mission to seize uranium raw material would be extremely challenging and carry potential risks.

IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi stated this week: “We are talking about tanks containing 60% highly enriched uranium hexafluoride gas, which is extremely difficult to handle. I am not saying it’s impossible, and I know the U.S. has formidable military capabilities to carry out such missions, but it would undoubtedly be a very challenging operation.”

Last spring, U.S. intelligence assessed that Iran was not attempting to develop nuclear weapons at that time, and Iran insisted its nuclear program was entirely for peaceful purposes. However, in recent years, Iran has enriched uranium to 60%, far exceeding levels needed for most non-military uses. The IAEA has noted that Iran is the only non-nuclear-weapon state to enrich uranium to this level.

Since the outbreak of hostilities, ensuring Iran cannot acquire nuclear weapons has been one of the goals of the military actions.

Before the conflict, the U.S. and Iran held multiple rounds of indirect negotiations aimed at limiting Iran’s nuclear program. The Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi, who helped mediate, said the talks included diluting Iran’s high-enriched uranium to lower levels and converting it into nuclear fuel.

Trump, however, demanded that Iran completely cease uranium enrichment activities, including low-enriched uranium, a demand Iran has refused.