Trump says he is "far from" ordering a ground operation against Iran

Investing.com - President Trump on Monday said that although there are reports discussing such deployments, he has not yet decided to send U.S. troops to Iran’s Natanz nuclear enrichment facility.

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In a phone interview with The New York Post at Trump National Golf Club in Doral, Florida, Trump stated, “We haven’t made any decisions on this. We’re far from that step.”

Earlier, Axios reported over the weekend that the U.S. and Israel have discussed sending special forces to Iran to secure the country’s high-enriched uranium stockpile. According to four informed sources, the operation would target 450 kilograms of 60% enriched uranium in Iran, which could be converted into weapons-grade material within weeks.

Trump also discussed Iran’s new Supreme Leader, Muqtada Khamenei, who took over from his father, Ali Khamenei, over the weekend. When asked about plans for the young Khamenei, Trump declined to reveal details but said he is “not satisfied” with him.

The 56-year-old Khamenei succeeded his father after Trump previously threatened that any successor who takes power without his approval would face consequences. Trump did not repeat that threat on Monday.

Any operation to seize Iran’s nuclear material could require U.S. or Israeli forces to enter Iranian territory and traverse heavily fortified underground facilities during wartime. It is unclear whether such a mission would be carried out by the U.S., Israel, or jointly, and it might only occur once both countries determine that the Iranian military no longer poses a serious threat to the participating forces.

At a congressional briefing on Tuesday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio was asked whether Iran’s enriched uranium would be protected. He said, “People need to go and retrieve it,” but did not specify who would carry out such an operation.

An Israeli defense official stated that Trump and his team are seriously considering deploying special operations forces to Iran for specific missions.

Preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons is one of Trump’s declared war objectives.

This article was translated with the assistance of artificial intelligence. For more information, please see our Terms of Use.