Special op to seize Iran’s uranium may be only solution, expert says

Military analysts say capturing — not bombing — Iran’s nuclear material may become America’s only remaining option.

By World Israel News Staff

A military analyst said that the United States may ultimately be forced to carry out one of the most complex special operations in modern history — physically seizing Iran’s nuclear material rather than relying solely on airstrikes to eliminate the threat, as negotiations with Tehran fail to progress.

Speaking to the New York Post, Joseph Rodgers, deputy director of the Center for Strategic and International Studies, argued that a direct operation to capture Iran’s enriched nuclear material may become the only viable option if negotiations fail to produce results.

“I hate to say it, but I think the most likely way to get rid of Iran’s nuclear material, at least what they currently have, is a military operation because the negotiations aren’t going anywhere fast,” Rodgers told the outlet.

“I think this would be one of the most, if not the most, sophisticated operations in military history,” Rodgers added.

According to Rodgers, such an operation would be far more demanding than recent U.S. special operations missions, including the widely reported raid that captured former Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro from his compound in Caracas.

“This would be a logistically heavy and difficult operation in a contested environment. Iran’s military is pretty destroyed, but they’re still more sophisticated than the Cubans that were guarding Maduro,” he said.

Unlike a conventional air campaign, Rodgers explained, securing Iran’s nuclear stockpiles would require American forces to establish temporary control over multiple sites, protect specialized teams responsible for removing the material, and safely transport it out of Iranian territory.

“You need to create a secure perimeter around all of the sites that you’re trying to go in and grab the material from. That would require ground forces to secure a perimeter and then create a secure convoy route to the airstrip,” said Rodgers.

The possibility comes as President Donald Trump has reportedly paused an ongoing bombing campaign against Iran after nearly two weeks of sustained strikes. According to reports, the decision was driven in part by concerns over dwindling supplies of interceptor missiles needed to defend U.S. forces and regional allies from potential Iranian retaliation.