Trump eyes Iran uranium stockpile? How it becomes biggest flashpoint in conflict | Explained

According to Trump’s post on Truth Social, US military operations have already achieved several key objectives. He claimed that Iran’s missile-launch capabilities have been significantly reduced, weapons manufacturing facilities destroyed, and both naval and air forces neutralised. However, Trump emphasised that the most critical objective remains: completely dismantling Iran’s nuclear program.

A major development has emerged in the ongoing conflict involving Iran, with US President Donald Trump outlining a strategy that could significantly alter the course of the war. While the conflict has already disrupted global oil supplies, causing price surges in several countries and shortages in others, the focus is now shifting from energy security to a far more serious concern: nuclear risk.

According to Trump’s post on the social media platform Truth Social, US military operations have already achieved several key objectives. He claimed that Iran’s missile-launch capabilities have been significantly reduced, weapons manufacturing facilities destroyed, and both naval and air forces neutralised. However, Trump emphasised that the most critical objective remains: completely dismantling Iran’s nuclear program.

Despite extensive bombing of nuclear facilities by US and Israeli forces, reports suggest that significant quantities of enriched uranium may still be intact. This has raised questions about why eliminating Iran’s nuclear capability remains an ongoing priority. In today's DNA episode, Rahul Sinha, Managing Editor of Zee News, analysed the US' objective of dismantling Iran's nuclear prowess: 

Watch the DNA episode here: 

Before the conflict began, Iran reportedly possessed around 440 kilograms of enriched uranium, refined up to 60 percent purity. 

The uranium enrichment process involves converting solid uranium into a gas known as uranium hexafluoride, which is then spun at high speeds in centrifuges. This process separates lighter uranium-235 isotopes, which are essential for nuclear weapons, from heavier isotopes. These concentrated isotopes are later used in the core of a nuclear warhead.

According to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Iran’s uranium stockpile is not stored in a single location but dispersed across multiple nuclear sites. Key locations include Isfahan, Fordow, and Natanz. 

Reports suggest that much of the uranium remains safe in underground bunkers, some located approximately 250 feet below the surface. These reserves are believed to be stored in high-pressure steel cylinders, many of which may now be buried under debris.

The challenge for US forces lies not only in locating these materials but also in safely extracting them. 

Past operations, such as “Project Sapphire” in 1994, saw the US successfully remove 600 kilograms of uranium from Kazakhstan, but that mission took a month and was conducted under controlled conditions.

To execute this complex mission, Trump is reportedly considering deploying the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC), an elite US military unit that includes SEAL Team Six, Delta Force, and Army Rangers. These units are tasked with high-risk operations and would likely operate in coordinated layers, SEAL Team Six leading direct assaults, Delta Force providing inner security, and Rangers securing outer perimeters.