ISLAMABAD: US officials have confirmed that ground troops stand ready to seize nearly 970 pounds of Iran’s enriched uranium the instant President Donald Trump approves the high-risk mission.

The Washington Post cited senior US sources indicating the Pentagon has drawn up detailed plans for the operation.

This would mark a dangerous new phase in the month-long US-Iran conflict.

The 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, with more than 2,200 Marines and sailors aboard the USS Tripoli amphibious group, has already arrived in the Middle East.

Officials describe the unit as positioned for possible rapid insertion into Iranian territory.

The target stockpile consists of uranium enriched to 60 percent purity, according to International Atomic Energy Agency data from June 2025.

That 440.9-kilogram quantity could fuel up to 10 nuclear weapons if further processed.

Much of the material is believed stored in underground tunnel complexes at Isfahan and Natanz.

Special operations forces have rehearsed the extraction at replica sites inside the United States for years.

Trump’s approval would authorise commandos and conventional infantry to secure perimeters deep inside Iran while the material is removed or destroyed.

Analysts call it potentially the largest and riskiest special operation in American history.

Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf warned that US ground forces would be “set on fire” upon arrival.

Despite the threats, the Pentagon is preparing for operations lasting weeks rather than days.

Over 50,000 US troops are now stationed across the region, including an extra 10,000 deployed since the conflict began.

The move aligns with Trump’s stated aim of permanently dismantling Iran’s nuclear breakout capability.

Pakistan is simultaneously hosting regional peace talks in Islamabad to broker an end to the fighting.

Iran has rejected previous US proposals and vowed fierce resistance to any ground incursion.

The operation carries enormous strategic stakes beyond the nuclear material itself.

Twenty percent of global oil transits the nearby Strait of Hormuz, where Iranian threats have already driven up prices.

Pakistan’s energy imports could face further disruption if shipping lanes are blocked.

Regional powers gathered in Islamabad expressed alarm over the potential escalation.

The IAEA has lost continuity of knowledge at several damaged Iranian nuclear sites following earlier strikes.

Much of the 60-percent enriched uranium at Isfahan, estimated at over 200 kilograms, remains unverified.

US officials stress that no final decision has been taken but contingency planning is advanced.

The 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit’s deployment is viewed as a clear signal of Washington’s readiness.

Military experts note the Marines specialise in amphibious raids and crisis response.

Successful seizure would require days of sustained presence inside hostile territory.

Iranian forces, backed by drones and missiles, could inflict heavy casualties during any extraction.

Nevertheless, the administration sees removal of the stockpile as essential to long-term security.

Global markets continue to react nervously to the unfolding developments.

Houthi attacks linked to the conflict have already heightened risks to commercial shipping.

Pakistan’s foreign ministry has reiterated its commitment to meaningful dialogue among all parties.

The uranium operation, if launched, would represent one of the boldest military gambles of Trump’s second term.

US sources told The Washington Post the Marines could be “waved in” once the president gives the order.

The world now waits to see whether Trump will authorise this unprecedented ground raid.