Overview
- President Trump is considering ordering a mission to seize or destroy Iran’s stored nuclear material, though no decision has been announced.
- Much of the 60%-enriched fuel is believed to be deep underground in Isfahan, with possible caches at Fordow, Natanz or tunnel complexes, but exact locations remain unverified without IAEA access.
- Secretary of State Marco Rubio told Congress the task would require special forces to physically retrieve the material, and Trump said he is not afraid of a ground operation.
- Experts warn that punctured canisters could release toxic, radioactive gas and that canister proximity could trigger a dangerous reaction, with decoys and fortified sites posing added hurdles.
- Before the Feb. 28 strikes, senior U.S. intelligence officials saw no imminent breakout risk, and a top counterterrorism official resigned citing that view, as a parallel diplomatic offer to downblend stockpiles under IAEA oversight was rejected by U.S. negotiators.