The U.S. is considering a military operation to seize Iran's stockpile of highly enriched uranium, which totals approximately 440-450 kilograms enriched to 60% purity. That stockpile could allow Iran to build as many as 10 nuclear bombs, should it decide to weaponize its program. Preventing Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon is one of President Trump's stated war aims, adding urgency to the deliberations.
Iran insists its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes only, but the IAEA and Western nations say Iran had an organized nuclear weapons program until 2003. IAEA inspectors have not been able to verify Iran's near weapons-grade uranium since June 2025 due to strikes that weakened Iran's air defenses and nuclear program. The lack of inspections has made it difficult to know the exact location of the uranium stockpile, creating a significant intelligence gap.
Nuclear material is probably stored in tunnels, with the IAEA believing about 200 kilograms of highly enriched uranium is stored in tunnels at Iran's nuclear complex outside Isfahan. Additional quantities are believed to be at the Natanz nuclear site and possibly at Fordo, but it is unclear whether additional quantities could be elsewhere. A satellite photo analyzed by Le Monde suggests at least part of Iran's highly enriched uranium stockpiles had been moved into underground tunnels near Isfahan in June last year. U.S. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard stated the U.S. intelligence community has high confidence it knows the location of Iran's highly enriched uranium stockpiles, but British military sources assess the exact location as uncertain, affecting mission success probability.
Iran's stockpile of highly enriched uranium is in the form of uranium hexafluoride gas stored in robust canisters each weighing about 50 kilograms when full. Estimates on the number of canisters range from 26 to about twice that number, depending on how full each cylinder is.
A military operation to seize the uranium would be complex, risky, and lengthy, fraught with radiation and chemical dangers. The operation could involve inserting as many as 1,000 specially trained forces or a massive helicopter-borne insertion of thousands of assault troops supporting Delta Force specialists. It could take at least 24 hours to conduct, and British military sources described the plan as very high-risk, with high probability of casualties and low probability of absolute mission success since the exact location of the uranium is uncertain.
U.S. and Israeli special forces have trained for missions to extract nuclear materials, and the U.S. has developed equipment called the Mobile Uranium Facility. This preparation underscores the seriousness of the military option, though the logistical hurdles remain daunting.
An alternative to a military operation is a negotiated settlement with Iran to surrender and secure the material without using force. The U.S. has reportedly proposed offering Iran access to $20 billion in frozen assets in exchange for more than 900 pounds of its enriched uranium. The U.S. is hoping to prevent Iran from accessing roughly 4,400 pounds of enriched uranium, 992 pounds of which is enriched to 60 percent purity. Sources told Axios the U.S. had initially offered to release $6 billion for humanitarian reasons, but Iranian officials demanded $27 billion.
The U.S. and Iran have reportedly discussed shipping some of the highly enriched uranium to a third country or blending it down in Iran under international monitoring. It is unclear how or which frozen assets the U.S. would permit Iran to access, adding to the ambiguity of the negotiations.
White House Spokesperson Anna Kelly declined to confirm the validity of the Axios report but said that productive conversations with Iran continue. President Donald Trump stated on Truth Social that no money will exchange hands in any way, shape, or form regarding the uranium, a position that contrasts with the reported negotiation efforts.
The U.S.-Israeli war against Iran entered its second month on Saturday, with preventing a nuclear Iran as a key objective. The remaining uranium is described as a tempting target for the Trump administration to declare victory in the war.
Iran graduates roughly 250,000 engineers annually with STEM penetration rivaling advanced industrial nations, and has a population of over 90 million, urbanized, young, educated, and consumer-ready. This technological and demographic base complicates any military action, as Iran could potentially rebuild or advance its nuclear capabilities even after a seizure operation.
The exact current location and distribution of Iran's highly enriched uranium stockpile is not fully known, and it is unclear whether the U.S. is seriously planning a military operation or prioritizing diplomatic options. Specific terms and status of negotiations between the U.S. and Iran regarding frozen assets and uranium surrender have not been publicly detailed, and how a military extraction would be executed given logistical and defensive challenges is undetermined. A timeline for any potential U.S. action, whether military or diplomatic, regarding Iran's uranium stockpile has not been announced.