US explores options to remove Iran's enriched uranium

The United States is actively exploring options to physically remove Iran's stockpiles of highly enriched uranium, according to reports. This consideration draws direct parallels to the 1994 'Project Sapphire' operation, where the U.S. secretly extracted 1,300 pounds of 90% enriched uranium from Kazakhstan using a large team and airlift. Experts warn that replicating such a mission in Iran would be far more difficult, as the bulk of Iran's approximately 970 pounds of 60% enriched uranium is stored deep underground at fortified sites like Isfahan and the Fordow mountain facility. Former officials caution that any extraction attempt would likely require thousands of U.S. troops to secure the area and could face significant resistance from Iranian air defenses and other military assets.