Amid escalating tensions and exchanges of attacks between the United States and Iran, U.S. military planners are reportedly studying the possibility of launching a ground mission to secure Iran's nuclear materials should the two countries reach an agreement. According to U.S. officials, preliminary plans include deploying soldiers to several Middle Eastern countries to support a rapid Department of Energy operation to locate, secure, and remove Iran's stockpile of highly enriched uranium.
Officials clarified that this is part of standard contingency planning and not a final decision to conduct an operation. Meanwhile, a senior U.S. administration official said that under the expected agreement, Iran's enriched uranium would first be destroyed on-site before being removed from the country. Technical negotiations are expected to last 60 days after the memorandum of understanding is signed.
