NextFin News - U.S. President Trump signaled on Monday that a military ground operation to seize Iran’s stockpile of highly enriched uranium (HEU) is now a live option, as ceasefire negotiations between Washington and Tehran reached what he described as a state of "massive life support." The president’s remarks, delivered to reporters at the White House, followed a coordinated rhetorical push from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who told CBS’s 60 Minutes on Sunday that the only way to resolve the nuclear threat was to "go in and take it out."
The shift toward a potential special operations mission marks a significant escalation in the 2026 Iran war, which began in February with Operation Epic Fury. While previous strikes, including last year’s Operation Midnight Hammer, focused on degrading infrastructure, the current objective centers on the physical removal of HEU cylinders believed to be buried beneath the rubble of the Isfahan nuclear complex. U.S. intelligence estimates suggest the stockpile contains enough material for approximately a dozen nuclear warheads, provided Tehran can successfully complete the weaponization process.
U.S. President Trump claimed that Iran had initially offered to allow U.S. personnel to accompany them into damaged facilities to retrieve the material, but later rescinded the invitation. "They said 'you’re going to have to take it,'" the U.S. President told reporters, adding that a peace proposal delivered by Tehran over the weekend was a "piece of garbage" because it failed to include a permanent renunciation of nuclear weapons. The Iranian proposal instead demanded war damages, recognition of sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz, and the release of all frozen assets.
The prospect of a ground incursion has sent ripples through global commodity markets, reflecting fears of a wider regional conflagration that could further disrupt energy supplies. Brent crude oil was trading at $105.03 per barrel on Monday, as traders weighed the risk of Iran retaliating against maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz. Safe-haven demand also remained elevated, with spot gold (XAU/USD) priced at $4,716.64 per ounce, according to market data from Forbes and Bloomberg.
The strategic logic of a "retrieve and remove" mission is being championed most aggressively by the Israeli government. According to reports from Axios, Israeli officials are urging U.S. President Trump to authorize a joint special forces raid. Netanyahu’s "go in and take it" stance reflects a long-standing Israeli doctrine of preemptive action against existential threats, though he declined to provide a specific timetable or tactical details during his recent interview. However, this view is not yet a consensus within the U.S. military establishment.
Retired General Joseph Votel, a former commander of U.S. Central Command, has expressed skepticism regarding the feasibility of such an operation. Votel, who has historically favored a more cautious approach to ground involvement in the Middle East, warned that a mission to secure nuclear material in a hostile, post-strike environment is "highly risky" and may fail to achieve its primary goal. His assessment suggests that the logistical challenge of locating, securing, and transporting heavy cylinders of HEU from deep underground bunkers while under fire could lead to a tactical quagmire.
The U.S. President appears to be balancing these military risks against his desire for a definitive "win" before a scheduled meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping later this week. While U.S. officials told Axios they do not expect an order for military action before the China summit, the U.S. President has already discussed reviving "Project Freedom"—a naval escort program for commercial shipping—as part of a broader military package. This suggests that any move to seize the uranium would likely be accompanied by a massive surge in naval and air activity to suppress Iranian counter-attacks.
For the markets, the uncertainty lies in whether this is a genuine tactical shift or a high-stakes negotiating tactic. The U.S. President’s assertion that the Space Force is "watching" the site and will "blow up" anyone who approaches it indicates a policy of containment by fire, yet the physical removal of the material remains the only way to meet the administration's stated goal of total denuclearization. As negotiations falter, the distance between a diplomatic settlement and a high-risk commando raid has narrowed to its thinnest point since the conflict began.
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