Seizing Iran’s HEU stockpile could demand a major U.S. ground deployment, officials say

CNN reports that recovering Iran’s remaining highly enriched uranium would require a substantial U.S. ground force beyond a small special-operations footprint, with most of the stockpile believed at Isfahan’s underground tunnels (around 200 kilograms) and additional material at Natanz. Airstrikes alone are unlikely to reach the tunnels due to their design, prompting discussions of infiltrating JSOC units (potentially with Israeli cooperation) to secure or render the site unusable. Any operation would require extensive ground support—security, logistics, and radiological handling—potentially numbering dozens to hundreds of troops, as six MC-130Js near RAF Mildenhall position for possible action, while Iran’s leadership resilience suggests diplomacy may also be needed.