The US military had made secret plans for a ground operation to capture Iran’s highly enriched uranium, a key component in producing a nuclear weapon. According to sources, Gen. Dan Caine, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, was briefed on the plans at US Central Command headquarters in Florida.

Trump’s Decision

President Donald Trump was then briefed on the options for the operation, but he decided to pause it due to concerns about potential Iranian retaliation and the risk of significant US casualties. The operation would have required a large US ground force, including hundreds of special operators, to secure the uranium.

The US intelligence community is confident that it knows the location of the uranium, thanks to continuous overhead surveillance. However, nuclear experts have expressed skepticism about the feasibility of the operation, citing the difficulty of locating and verifying all the uranium under hostile conditions.

Iran’s Response

Tehran has been plotting an economic ‘nuclear option’ if negotiations with the US fail and the war resumes. This could involve getting the Houthis, the Iranians’ chief proxy force in Yemen, to close the Bab-al-Mandab strait, a key waterway and global trade chokepoint.

The US has been trying to negotiate a deal with Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz and conclude negotiations on Iran’s nuclear program. However, the discussions have been slow, and the US has been considering alternative options, including military action.

Original reporting: KTVZ (Central Oregon) — read the source article.