U.S. military planners are considering an extraordinarily complex ground operation inside Iran to seize or destroy enriched uranium stored at heavily fortified nuclear facilities, according to a report in the New York Post.

The potential mission could require thousands of American troops to storm and secure multiple nuclear sites while confronting Iranian forces, mines, explosives, booby traps and other defenses. Construction crews would likely be needed to gain access to damaged underground facilities, while a large blocking force would protect the operation and secure escape routes.

A smaller team of elite Special Operations forces would then enter the facilities and retrieve the nuclear material. The units under consideration could reportedly include members of SEAL Team 6’s Silver Squadron, the Army’s 2nd Ranger Battalion and the 21st Ordnance Company, whose specialists would be responsible for safely handling and transporting the enriched uranium.

Joseph Rodgers, deputy director of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said military action may ultimately be the most likely way to eliminate Iran’s remaining nuclear material because diplomatic negotiations are making little progress. He described the proposed mission as potentially “the most sophisticated operation in military history.”

The fortified Fordow and Isfahan nuclear facilities are among the sites that could be targeted. Although both were heavily damaged in previous strikes, substantial quantities of enriched uranium are believed to remain inside or beneath the facilities.

The operation would require American forces to establish a secure perimeter around each site, control the surrounding airspace and protect the teams retrieving the material. Planners would also need precise intelligence about the facilities’ layouts, entrances, tunnels and potential traps.

Iran is reportedly preparing for the possibility of a ground operation and has reinforced areas around the Isfahan facility with mines and explosives. Another site known as Pickaxe Mountain, where Iran is suspected of having moved centrifuges and nuclear material, could also become a target.

Military experts cautioned that even with Iran’s conventional forces badly weakened, such an operation would remain extremely dangerous. American troops could face armed resistance, hidden explosives and difficult underground conditions while attempting to remove large quantities of radioactive material from several separate locations.

No final decision has been made, and President Trump has not approved the operation. The military option is being examined as efforts to reach a diplomatic agreement over Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile continue to stall.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)