Trump is strategizing means to seize Iran's nuclear stockpiles, sources say

Washington — The Trump medication has been strategizing methods and options to unafraid oregon extract Iran's atomic materials, according to aggregate radical briefed connected the discussions, arsenic a U.S.-Israel led subject run against Tehran enters a much uncertain phase. 

The timing of immoderate specified an cognition – if President Trump were to bid it – remained unclear Friday night. One root said helium has made nary determination yet. 

But readying has centered connected the imaginable deployment of forces from the secretive Joint Special Operations Command, the elite subject portion often tasked with the astir delicate counter-proliferation missions, 2 of the sources told CBS News. 

Spokespeople for the White House and Pentagon didn't instantly comment. 

Mr. Trump successful a Truth Social station Friday evening said: "We are getting precise adjacent to gathering our objectives arsenic we see winding down our large Military efforts successful the Middle East with respect to the Terrorist Regime of Iran."

The backstage deliberations connected the atomic worldly travel amid an evolving struggle that successful its opening focused connected degrading Iran's accepted subject capabilities — including aerial defenses, rocket systems and cardinal infrastructure tied to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. 

That archetypal question of strikes carried retired by U.S. and Israeli forces was intended to blunt Iran's quality to retaliate crossed the region. However, contempt the onslaught from the air, Iran has been capable to counterstrike connected Israel and U.S.-allied countries successful the Gulf region, and has halted astir lipid shipments by threatening ships. 

Six U.S. work members were killed and dozens were injured in an Iranian drone attack connected a basal successful Kuwait, and 1 U.S. work subordinate died from an onslaught successful Saudi Arabia. Six Americans were killed erstwhile a refueling craft crashed successful Iraq past week.

More recently, the medication turned its attraction to a much enduring nonsubjective laid retired by Mr. Trump astatine the commencement of the war: ensuring that Iran is nary longer susceptible of producing a atomic weapon. 

As of past summer, Iran had amassed immoderate 972 pounds of 60%-enriched uranium, which is simply a abbreviated measurement distant from weapons-grade material, according to the U.N.'s International Atomic Energy Agency, oregon IAEA. Much of that uranium remains buried underneath atomic sites that were bombed by a U.S. cognition past summer.

U.S. officials person said the Trump medication has not ruled retired trying to retrieve Iran's stockpiles of highly enriched uranium arsenic portion of the existent subject campaign. White House property caput Karoline Leavitt told reporters earlier this week that "it's an enactment connected the array for him."

Any ngo to prehend the uranium would beryllium arduous and perchance risky.

"We're talking astir cylinders containing state of highly contaminated uranium hexafluoride astatine 60%, truthful it's precise hard to handle," Rafael Grossi, the IAEA's director-general, told CBS News "Face the Nation" this week. "I'm not saying it's impossible. I cognize that determination are unthinkable subject capacities to bash that, but it would beryllium [a] precise challenging cognition for sure."

The U.S. quality assemblage assessed past outpouring that Iran was not trying to physique a atomic weapon, and Iran insists that its atomic programme is intended solely for peaceful purposes. But successful caller years,  Iran has enriched uranium to 60%, beyond the levels indispensable for astir non-military uses. The IAEA has said Iran is the lone non-nuclear weapons authorities to enrich uranium to that level.

Since the war's outset, Mr. Trump has listed ensuring that Iran cannot get a atomic limb arsenic 1 of the war's goals.

Prior to the outbreak of the conflict, the U.S. and Iran held respective rounds of indirect talks aimed astatine curbing Iran's atomic program. Those talks included discussions astir blending Iran's highly enriched uranium down to a little level and converting it to fuel, according to Omani Foreign Minister Badr Albusaidi, who helped mediate the negotiations.

Mr. Trump has pushed for Iran to halt enriching uranium altogether, including astatine little levels, an thought the Iranian authorities has rejected.