The Pentagon is examining plans for a large-scale ground operation to seize or destroy enriched uranium stockpiles at Iran’s fortified nuclear facilities, The New York Post and CNN reported.
The proposed raid is being considered as an alternative to further airstrikes on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure and could require thousands of U.S. troops.
U.S. forces would first need to secure the areas around the nuclear facilities, clear mines and other explosives, open damaged entrances to underground complexes, and establish a defensive perimeter and safe evacuation routes.
Only after those steps could a smaller special operations team enter the facilities to remove or destroy the nuclear material.
Possible participants include U.S. Navy SEALs, Army Rangers and specialized units trained to handle hazardous materials. The force would likely be tasked with transporting enriched uranium from the Fordow and Isfahan complexes.
Joseph Rodgers, deputy director at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, suggested that military action may be the only way to quickly remove Iran’s existing nuclear material from its control because negotiations have made little progress.
Experts consider the Isfahan nuclear complex the most challenging target. Reports indicate that Iran fortified it in advance and may have mined its tunnels in preparation for a U.S. or Israeli raid. Engineering units would have to breach the entrances and clear mines while potentially facing resistance.
Another possible target is an underground complex near Natanz known as Pickaxe Mountain. Iran may have moved hundreds of centrifuges there after earlier strikes.
Iran had accumulated more than nine metric tons of enriched uranium as of 2025, the International Atomic Energy Agency estimated. Some of the material may be stored in deep underground tunnels near Isfahan.
Experts question whether the operation could be completed without substantial casualties. Richard Goldberg, a former U.S. National Security Council official, warned that holding the facilities for an extended period and evacuating all participating forces afterward would be difficult.
Washington has not confirmed that any ground operation has been approved or scheduled. It remains one of the military options under review.