The U.S. government is weighing a special-operations forces mission to seize Iran’s stockpile of near-bomb-grade highly enriched uranium.

This potential operation represents a significant escalation in regional tensions. The move is driven by concerns over the location of the uranium and the security risks it poses to the surrounding region.

According to reports, the mission would target the Isfahan region of Iran, where the highly enriched material is believed to be stored [1]. U.S. officials are evaluating the feasibility of a ground operation to secure the material and prevent its use in a nuclear weapon [2].

President Donald Trump faces a critical decision regarding the deployment of troops for this objective [3]. The operation would involve special-operations forces tasked with the capture and extraction of the uranium stockpile [2].

Monitoring of the region has already noted unusual activity. Plumes of smoke were observed in Isfahan on March 4, 2026 [1]. These sightings have added to the urgency of the security assessments being conducted by the U.S. government.

U.S. officials said the risks associated with the current location of the uranium necessitate a potential intervention [2]. The decision to deploy ground forces would be a major shift in strategy to prevent Iran from achieving nuclear weapons capability [3].

“The U.S. government is weighing a special-operations forces mission to seize Iran’s stockpile of near-bomb-grade highly enriched uranium.”

A ground operation to seize nuclear material would mark a departure from traditional aerial strikes or diplomatic sanctions. By targeting the uranium stockpile directly in Isfahan, the U.S. would be attempting to physically remove the primary component needed for a nuclear weapon, though such a mission carries a high risk of triggering a direct military conflict between the two nations.