US President Donald Trump said in Washington that he rejected a uranium raid plan because special operations forces would face major risks and logistics problems inside Iran.
Speaking to reporters at the White House, Trump said his team discussed the option early in the conflict. He said the plan came before the United States carried out major military action against Iran.
Trump said the mission would not have been a short raid. He said US forces could have needed about two weeks inside a war zone to retrieve the uranium and move heavy equipment.
The president compared the risks to the failed 1980 Iran hostage rescue mission under former US President Jimmy Carter. Trump said he did not want to put US forces in a similar position.
☢️ US considered operation to seize Iran’s uranium — Trump
US President Donald Trump said his administration considered sending forces into Iran to seize its highly enriched uranium, but abandoned the idea because it could have led to US casualties.
Such an operation would have…
— Sputnik (@SputnikInt) June 4, 2026“It’s not like Venezuela,” Trump said, arguing that forces could not enter and leave within minutes. He said the mission would have required significant airlift capacity and would have exposed troops to combat risks.
Trump said the idea received serious consideration at the start. He said officials later judged it impractical because Iran would eventually detect the operation.
Read: Operation Epic Fury Sparked 2026 Iran War
The remarks came as US officials continued to focus on Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile and the military risks tied to securing it, according to US media reports.
