Iran has dramatically increased efforts to secure its stockpile of highly enriched uranium, collapsing underground passageways and planting live landmines around access routes in recent weeks, according to individuals familiar with U.S. intelligence assessments cited by CNN.

The measures have significantly complicated any effort to recover the estimated 1,000 pounds of near-weapons-grade uranium. Just weeks ago, President Donald Trump publicly floated the possibility of using American military force to seize the material. Today, intelligence officials believe the stockpile is far more difficult—and dangerous—to access.

The developments present a major challenge for the Trump administration’s proposed agreement with Tehran, which reportedly calls for the removal and destruction of Iran’s enriched uranium. The new obstacles also raise difficult questions about who would ultimately be responsible for carrying out such a risky operation.

Neither the White House nor Iran’s mission to the United Nations immediately commented on the report.

Trump has repeatedly emphasized that recovering the uranium remains a central objective of ongoing negotiations aimed at ending hostilities and reopening the Strait of Hormuz. During a briefing on Friday, a senior administration official said negotiators were making progress toward an agreement that would require Iran to hand over its enriched uranium stockpile to the United States. Under the proposed arrangement, the material would reportedly be destroyed and then removed from the country.

According to intelligence officials cited by CNN, even Iranian nuclear specialists would face substantial risks attempting to retrieve the uranium under current conditions. Any recovery effort would require extensive excavation equipment and complex explosives-removal procedures.

The fortified underground environment may also provide Tehran with an explanation for any future delays or failures in complying with the terms of a potential agreement.

Western intelligence agencies reportedly believe that most of the uranium is now trapped inside intentionally collapsed underground facilities at the Isfahan nuclear complex in central Iran. Smaller quantities are believed to be stored at other locations around the country.

CNN reported that the Pentagon completed a military plan in mid-May designed to seize the uranium stockpile by force. The operation was ultimately abandoned because officials concluded that the risks were too great. Since then, Iran has reportedly intensified efforts to strengthen and conceal the underground sites where the material is believed to be stored.

Trump has previously acknowledged the challenges associated with recovering the uranium. During a May interview on Fox News, he expressed skepticism that Iran could successfully move the material without attracting American attention.

“We know exactly what’s happening,” Trump told Fox host Sean Hannity of the site. “Nobody’s even gotten close to it.”

At the same time, intelligence officials told CNN that Trump’s repeated public references to the uranium stockpile as a possible military target may have encouraged Tehran to further harden and protect the facilities.

As a result, experts believe that even if the United States and Iran finalize an agreement in the coming days, months of additional technical negotiations may be required to resolve questions involving the uranium stockpile and the broader nuclear program.

Removing the material from Iran would likely require specialized equipment operated by the National Nuclear Security Administration, including a mobile processing system based at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Tennessee. Earlier this month, U.S. negotiators Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff reportedly visited the facility as part of ongoing preparations.

Even with full cooperation and unrestricted access, specialists believe the operation would be lengthy and highly complex. Trump recently told reporters that the physical process of removing the uranium would take at least two weeks to complete.

{Matzav.com}