The Israeli government wants President Trump to order a US special forces operation to secure Iran’s uranium that’s enriched at the 60% level, according to a report from Axios, an operation that is fraught with risks and would mean the resumption of full-blown war in the region.
Israeli officials told Axios reporter Barak Ravid, a former IDF intelligence officer, that Trump was hesitant to order the operation because of the risks.
In an interview with 60 Minutes that aired on Sunday, Netanyahu hinted that he wanted to see US forces go into Iran to seize the uranium, which is believed to be buried under rubble following the June 2025 US airstrikes against Iranian nuclear facilities.
Asked how the uranium should be physically removed, Netanyahu said, “You go in, and you take it out.”
When asked if it would involve either US or Israeli special operations forces, he said, “Well, I’m not gonna talk about military means, but what President Trump has said to me, ‘I want to go in there.’ I mean, he’s said that publicly. He’s said it– and I think he’s right. And I think it can be done physically. That’s not the problem. If you have an agreement, and you go in, and you take it out, why not? That’s the best way.”
Netanyahu was then asked if the uranium could be taken out by force and said, “Well, you’re gonna ask me these questions. I’m gonna dodge them, so you can ask me that second time, third time, and I’ll dodge it second time, third time.”
President Trump said in an interview over the weekend that the US was surveilling where it’s believed the uranium is buried and threatened to kill anyone who attempted to recover it. “We’ll get that at some point… We have it surveilled. I did a thing called Space Force, and they are watching that… If anybody got near the place, we will know about it — and we’ll blow them up,” he said.
The president is considering restarting the full-scale bombing campaign against Iran as he continues to enforce a blockade against Iranian ports, which has involved US attacks on Iranian commercial vessels.
