Source: Fox News
Summary
The US and Israel’s air campaign against Iran’s nuclear infrastructure raises questions about securing enriched uranium. War Secretary Pete Hegseth declined to comment on whether US forces would secure the uranium, citing operational security. Analysts say physically controlling the material requires a massive ground operation, locating the full stockpile, accessing underground facilities, and safely extracting or downblending the material. The administration has said preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon is a central objective, but experts note that dismantling missile systems may not address the issue of securing enriched uranium.
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As expected, the matter has reached another stage.
The US and Israel’s air campaign alone cannot answer the question of who will physically secure the enriched uranium. Iran is believed to possess a significant stockpile of uranium enriched to 60%, near weapons-grade. Moving from 60% to weapons-grade 90% enrichment requires additional processing, and weaponization would involve further technical steps. The more immediate issue is physical control of the material itself. Analysts say securing enriched uranium generally involves more than military force, requiring verified accounting of the material, sustained access to storage sites, and either removal or downblending to lower enrichment levels suitable for civilian use.
The administration maintains that Iran will not be allowed to obtain a nuclear weapon, but how the enriched uranium itself would be secured remains a question without a public answer.
Author: Evan Null
