CNN: U.S. Nearly Approved Ground Raid in Iran for Enriched Uranium, Then Trump Pulled Back

At the end of last month, the U.S. military chief made a secret, urgent trip to U.S. Central Command headquarters in Florida to receive a face-to-face briefing on plans that would have included sending ground forces into Iran and seizing its stockpile of enriched uranium, CNN reported Friday, citing people familiar with the matter. The talks were so sensitive and time-critical that Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, had to leave a senior NATO meeting in Brussels and return to Florida on May 19.

According to the sources, the fact that such high-level briefings took place showed how close the administration came to approving the risky operation. Caine later briefed President Donald Trump on the possible options for carrying it out. Trump then hit pause after being warned that the move would likely trigger a harsh Iranian response, prolong the war, and further shake the global economy. He was also concerned about the possibility of heavy American casualties.

CNN said Trump ultimately backed away at the last moment. The advanced planning came while Trump was publicly saying the United States and Iran were nearing an agreement that could reopen the Strait of Hormuz and end negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program. On Thursday, he said a deal could be signed soon, possibly as early as the weekend.

But the discussions from last month suggest how close Washington came to a major escalation. One source familiar with the possible military plan told CNN, “There are a lot of risks here,” and said they were not surprised Trump decided not to give the military the green light.