US military's plan for ground operation to seize Iran's Uranium was paused by Trump: Report

The US' top general made a secret visit to US Central Command (CENTCOM) headquarters in Florida late last month to receive in-person briefings on plans for the country's forces to enter Iran and seize its highly enriched uranium, a key material for nuclear weapons, CNN reported while citing two sources familiar with the matter.

The briefings were reportedly so critical and sensitive that Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General Dan Caine had to cut short a meeting with senior NATO officials in Brussels and fly back to Tampa, Florida, on May 19.

Also read: Iran peace deal looms while new military action flares near Strait of Hormuz


CNN reported sources as saying that the urgent nature of these briefings highlights how close the administration came to approving the high-risk ground operation.

A spokesperson for the Joint Staff refused to comment on potential operation preparations. According to one source as cited by CNN, Gen Caine subsequently briefed President Donald Trump on possible courses of action for the mission.

Sources told CNN that Trump halted plans for the operation after being warned it could trigger severe Iranian retaliation, prolong the conflict, and further destabilise the global economy.

Sources familiar with the matter also said Trump expressed concern over the possibility of substantial US casualties.

The detailed planning for the mission occurred even as Trump repeatedly indicated that the US and Iran were nearing an agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz and finalise talks on Iran's nuclear program.

On Thursday, he said a deal with Iran could be signed soon, possibly over the weekend. However, the recent discussions about deploying ground troops to Iran highlight how close the US came to a major escalation.

"Lots of risk," one source familiar with the potential military plans said, noting it was unsurprising that Trump chose not to authorise the operation last month.

CNN reported that Tehran has been preparing an economic "nuclear option" if talks with the US fail and hostilities resume, according to three people familiar with the matter.

This plan involves directing the Houthis, Iran's main proxy force in Yemen, to close the Bab-al-Mandab strait, a crucial maritime chokepoint and global trade route that serves as the entrance to the Red Sea, similar to Iran's recent months-long closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

A senior US administration official told CNN on Friday that, according to the US, Iran had agreed in negotiations to dismantle its nuclear program, destroy and remove nuclear material, reopen the Strait of Hormuz, and stop funding terrorist proxy groups, after which it would receive sanctions relief.

Iranian state media, however, presented a different version, stating that Iran would not relinquish control of the Strait of Hormuz and that any agreement would require the immediate release of USD 24 billion in frozen Iranian funds.

Also read: Trump's proposed Iran peace deal hinges on risky plan of sequenced rewards

Further, CNN reported that securing Iran's highly enriched uranium remains one of Trump's key objectives that has yet to be achieved, either through diplomacy or military action. While Trump has repeatedly suggested the possibility of forcibly seizing the uranium, he has hesitated to approve an operation that could result in significant US casualties, which he doubts the American public would support.

Speaking to Fox News, as cited by CNN about another high-risk military option, taking control of Iran's oil export hub at Kharg Island, Trump said Thursday, "I don't know if America has the stomach for it."

Despite these concerns, the option to seize Iran's enriched uranium, including the 970 pounds that have been concentrated to near-weapons grade, remains under consideration.

Trump's frustration has intensified as Iran has delayed agreeing to a deal requiring major concessions on its nuclear program, including the voluntary surrender of its highly enriched uranium stockpile. Sources told CNN that this uranium is dispersed across multiple Iranian nuclear sites, mainly the Isfahan, Natanz, and Fordow complexes, and is stored deep within tunnels.