National security specialist Andrew Weber mentioned on Sunday that taking Iran’s highly enriched uranium out of the country may necessitate a significant U.S. military presence for protection during the process.
Weber, who held the position of assistant secretary of defense for nuclear, chemical, and biological defense programs under former President Barack Obama, was in charge of removing enriched uranium left by the Soviet Union in Kazakhstan. In a chat with CBS News’ Cecilia Vega on “60 Minutes,” she inquired if a similar operation could occur in Iran.
Weber replied, “Conducting such a mission unilaterally in Iran would involve considerable risks. We would need a secure area in the center of the country. The operation would likely require thousands of U.S. troops to secure the site while our specialists extract the highly enriched uranium from deep tunnels in Isfahan.”
Matthew Bunn, a nuclear policy analyst and previous White House adviser, indicated that the U.S. military has been preparing for scenarios like this for quite some time.
He remarked, “It’s not that we don’t consider the possibility of Iran pursuing such ambitions, but special forces have actually been training at deep underground facilities for a lengthy period.” Vega also asked about earlier claims from President Donald Trump after U.S. actions against Iran’s nuclear facilities in 2025, which suggested that Iran’s nuclear plans were entirely dismantled.
Bunn countered, “That isn’t true. We cannot assert that the program, which still possesses ample nuclear materials, is finished. There’s no question that the recent attacks and ongoing conflict have severely hindered Iran’s capabilities. However, the knowledge and resources they possess remain substantial. Bombing alone won’t erase that.”
Regarding President Trump, he has suggested that the U.S. could reclaim enriched uranium from Iran. During a White House statement in March, he said, “Iran doesn’t have nuclear weapons. We’re going to take our trash back. We will either retrieve it from them or take it ourselves.”
The White House has yet to respond to inquiries from Fox News Digital on this matter.
Upcoming peace negotiations with Iran were slated to occur in Pakistan on Tuesday, but recent Iranian state media reports have cast uncertainty over their likelihood. The fragile two-week ceasefire agreement between the U.S. and Iran expires on Wednesday, and there’s been no word yet about extending it.
President Trump has consistently maintained that the essence of the conflict with Iran revolves around preventing the nation from developing nuclear weapons.
