CNN: Trump Blocked Secret U.S. Raid Plan to Seize Iran’s Enriched Uranium

The U.S. military planned a covert ground operation in May to seize Iran’s enriched uranium, including the reported 970 kilograms, but President Donald Trump stopped it, CNN reported. According to the report, Trump withheld approval mainly because of the risk of a large number of casualties, and the mission was considered too dangerous to proceed.

The planning moved quickly. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine made an urgent visit last month to U.S. Central Command headquarters in Florida for a briefing on the military options, then updated Trump. The president ultimately halted the plan after being warned it could trigger a severe Iranian response and prolong the war. Even so, the option was never fully removed from the table.

Military commanders assessed the operation as carrying a risk level of “high to extreme” for the forces involved. The sources said it could have produced many casualties even if it succeeded. One source familiar with the matter said it was unsurprising that Trump refused to green-light the raid because of the elevated danger.

At the same time, CBS reported that Pentagon officials are discussing how U.S. forces could help secure the uranium if an agreement is reached. Initial talks focus on how the Pentagon could oversee the seizure inside Iran, with one scenario calling for U.S. troops to be positioned in several Middle East countries for rapid response. Energy Department teams would then enter Iran to locate, secure, and remove enriched uranium stockpiles. Officials stressed these talks are contingency planning, not a decision to launch an operation.

A senior Trump administration official said that under a possible deal expected in the coming days, Iran’s enriched uranium would be “destroyed on site and then removed from the country.” The official added that a technical process would still be needed, with technical negotiations expected to continue for 60 days after a memorandum of understanding is signed. Trump told Channel 12 on Friday night that he still believes a deal with Iran could be signed over the weekend or on Monday. In Israel, officials fear Trump may settle for diluting Iran’s uranium rather than removing it from the country, with an aide to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saying, “The big fear is that Trump will do to us what Obama did.”