New York Post: US Weighs Special Forces Raid on Iran's Nuclear Sites
The New York Post reported that a potential ground operation to secure Iran's enriched uranium has re-emerged as an option in US security planning instead of relying solely on airstrikes.
ERBIL (Kurdistan24) - The New York Post reported on Saturday that US security officials are again considering a special military operation to seize Iran's stockpile of enriched uranium from its nuclear facilities, presenting the option as a possible alternative to a strategy centered solely on airstrikes.
According to the report, the proposed mission would involve thousands of US ground troops securing Iranian nuclear facilities before a small team of special operations forces retrieves the enriched uranium.
Joseph Rodgers, deputy director of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told the newspaper that a military operation may be the most likely way to remove Iran's existing nuclear material if negotiations fail to produce results.
"I hate to say it, but I think the most likely way to get rid of Iran's nuclear material, at least what they currently have, is a military operation because the negotiations aren't going anywhere fast," Rodgers said.
According to the report, the operation would require ground forces to establish secure perimeters around multiple nuclear sites, clear booby traps, reopen blocked underground entrances, and protect transport routes while the nuclear material is removed.
Rodgers described the proposed mission as potentially "the most sophisticated operation in military history," citing the logistical and operational challenges of carrying out such an operation inside Iran.
The report said the retrieval force could include elements of SEAL Team 6's Silver Squadron, the 2nd Ranger Battalion, and the US Army's 21st Ordnance Company, which would reportedly be responsible for handling and transporting the enriched uranium.
According to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), cited by the newspaper, Iran possessed more than 20,000 pounds of enriched uranium in 2025.
The report said the operation would focus primarily on the heavily fortified Fordo and Isfahan nuclear facilities, where US forces would reportedly need to clear damaged tunnel entrances while defending against potential Iranian attacks.
Richard Goldberg, who served as director for countering Iranian weapons of mass destruction at the White House National Security Council during President Donald Trump's first administration, said sustaining such an operation would pose significant military challenges.
"So how long can you sustain that and still be able to exfiltrate all of your forces?" Goldberg said.
The report also said Iran has reportedly strengthened security around the Isfahan facility by placing booby traps, mines, and additional defensive positions in anticipation of a possible ground assault.
According to the report, the underground Pickaxe Mountain facility near Natanz has also emerged as a potential objective after Iran reportedly transferred hundreds of nuclear centrifuges there during the past month.
Goldberg said a special operations mission at Pickaxe Mountain would likely be considered only if military planners concluded that airstrikes alone could not destroy the underground facility.