Iran mined tunnel entrances of nuclear sites amid fears of US seizure plan - CNN

Iran has sharply escalated efforts to seal off its near bomb-grade uranium stockpile, deliberately collapsing tunnels and placing explosive mines at entrances amid fears of a possible US operation to seize the material, CNN reported, citing five sources familiar with US intelligence.

The report said access to roughly half a ton of highly enriched uranium is now far more difficult, dangerous and time-consuming than it was a month ago, when President Donald Trump was publicly suggesting the US military could move to seize it.

The added fortifications could complicate a proposed US-Iran deal that Washington says would require Tehran to turn over its enriched uranium for destruction and removal from the country.

CNN said most of the stockpile is believed by the international community to be in collapsed tunnels at the Isfahan nuclear complex, with some material held at other sites.

Experts cited by CNN said even Iran would now face a risky and complex task retrieving the uranium, requiring heavy excavation equipment and de-mining operations.

Scott Roecker, a former senior US nuclear material removal official, said the situation could also give Iran room to claim part of the stockpile is irretrievable, raising doubts over full verification.

CNN previously reported that the US military prepared plans in May for a possible ground operation inside Iran to seize the material, but Trump paused the plan after warnings it could trigger severe Iranian retaliation, prolong the war, disrupt the global economy and cause significant US casualties.

The report said the removal of Iran’s uranium under any deal would likely require a specialized US mobile uranium facility organized through the National Nuclear Security Administration at Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

Trump has said securing the material is a priority in negotiations to end the war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, but CNN said even top nuclear removal experts would need significant time to complete the task.