Trump Reportedly Blocked Secret U.S. Plan to Seize Iran’s Enriched Uranium

The U.S. military recently drew up an urgent ground operation to seize Iran’s enriched uranium, but President Donald Trump stopped it, according to sources cited by CNN. The uranium is believed to be spread across several nuclear sites in Iran, especially Isfahan, Natanz and Fordow, and buried deep in tunnels.

CNN said a senior American general made a secret visit late last month to U.S. Central Command headquarters in Florida for a personal briefing on the plan to deploy ground forces to Iran and capture the material by force. Before that, Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, traveled to Brussels to meet NATO officials. Sources said the hurried pace suggested the administration was close to approving the mission.

Trump halted the plan after Caine briefed him on it, following warnings that the operation could trigger a harsh Iranian response and further shake the global economy. Trump was also concerned about the risk of heavy American casualties. One source told CNN the plan carried “a lot of risk” and said it was not surprising Trump declined to give it the green light.

The discussions came as Trump repeatedly said the United States and Iran were nearing a deal to open the Strait of Hormuz and end negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program. On Thursday, he said a U.S.-Iran agreement could be signed soon, possibly over the weekend. CNN also reported that Iran had prepared to hit the global economy hard if talks failed, including a plan for the Houthis to close the Bab al-Mandeb strait as well as the Strait of Hormuz.

Separately, a senior U.S. official said Friday that Washington and Tehran were close to an accord covering Iran’s enriched uranium. He said there was agreement on “the destruction and removal of the enriched material,” adding that the United States would receive it and that the deal would amount to “dismantling” Iran’s nuclear program. An Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman confirmed progress, said the sides were in the final internal stages of drafting, and stressed that Iran entered diplomacy in good faith while continuing to assess the other side’s positions.