Trump halts Iran’s uranium seizure plan
The US military had planned to forcibly seize Iran’s highly enriched uranium stockpile. However, US President Donald Trump himself has halted this plan. This information has been revealed in a report by US media outlet CNN.
According to the report, at the end of last month, General Dan Kaine, the top US military officer, secretly and urgently went to the US Central Command (CENTCOM) headquarters in Florida. There, he received a direct briefing on the plan for a possible ground operation to seize Iran’s uranium stockpile.
According to the report, the matter was so sensitive and urgent that Kaine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, left a meeting of top NATO officials in Brussels midway and returned to Tampa on May 19. CNN says that these high-level discussions indicate that the Trump administration was very close to approving this risky military operation. Later, General Kaine presented possible military options to Trump.
However, Trump ultimately shelved the plan, warning that such a move could provoke a strong Iranian response, prolong the conflict, and further destabilize the global economy. It also threatened to cause massive casualties for the U.S. military. According to the report, even as the military plan was being developed, Trump repeatedly said that the United States and Iran were close to an agreement to fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz and end negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program.
