General Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, conducted a brief visit to US Central Command headquarters in Florida on May 19 to discuss plans for a military operation to seize highly enriched uranium from Iran, according to sources familiar with the matter. The urgency of the briefings indicated that the administration was close to approving the operation. However, President Donald Trump decided to pause the plans after being warned of potential severe Iranian retaliation and the risk of US casualties.
The discussions about sending ground troops occurred amid ongoing negotiations between the US and Iran regarding the Strait of Hormuz and Iran's nuclear program. Trump has expressed frustration over Iran's lack of commitment to a deal that would involve significant concessions on its nuclear program.
Iran's state media has reported that the country would not agree to cede control of the Strait of Hormuz and demands the release of $24 billion in frozen funds as part of any agreement. Nuclear experts have raised concerns about the feasibility of a military operation to secure Iran's uranium, which is located in various facilities and may be difficult to verify and remove under hostile conditions. The International Atomic Energy Agency has indicated that Iran's stockpile could allow it to produce multiple nuclear weapons if it chooses to weaponize its program.