The United States and Israel have held high-level discussions regarding a potential special forces mission to seize Iran’s reserves of highly enriched uranium, according to a report by Axios.
The news outlet, citing four sources with knowledge of the matter, indicated that a primary war objective for US President Donald Trump is to ensure Iran does not acquire a nuclear weapon. Central to this goal is the seizure of the country’s 450kg (992 pounds) of uranium enriched to 60 per cent.
According to the report, such an operation would probably be conducted during a “later stage” of the conflict. This would occur once the US and Israel conclude that the Iranian military is no longer in a position to mount a formidable defence.
The current condition of the stockpile is currently unknown in the wake of US and Israeli aerial strikes on Iranian nuclear infrastructure last June.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has reported that it has been denied access to the sites affected by the bombings. The IAEA stated that its inspectors have discovered no evidence of a synchronised Iranian programme aimed at the construction of nuclear weapons.
