Donald Trump considers operation to extract Iran's enriched uranium
The Jerusalem Post • • general
Key Points:
- US President Donald Trump is considering a military operation to remove nearly 1,000 pounds of uranium from Iran, though no final decision has been made, with concerns about risks to US troops.
- The uranium is stored in gaseous form in difficult-to-handle cylinders, requiring specialized equipment and complex logistics, making any extraction operation highly risky and challenging.
- Trump has instructed advisers to urge Iran to surrender the uranium voluntarily, with ongoing negotiations mediated by third parties, emphasizing that any resolution must prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons.
- The US has precedent for peaceful uranium removal operations, such as Project Sapphire in 1994 and a joint US-UK operation in 1998, but experts warn that a military extraction would be far more complicated.
- US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth confirmed the US has multiple options regarding the uranium, including diplomatic efforts, but declined to specify potential military actions.
