United States President, Donald Trump, has stated that recovering uranium from Iran will be a prolonged and complex process, following last year’s military strikes on the country’s nuclear facilities.
In a post shared on his Truth Social platform late Monday, Trump said the operation—code-named “Operation Midnight Hammer”—successfully destroyed key nuclear sites in Iran. However, he noted that extracting any remaining materials would not be straightforward.
According to him, the strikes led to what he described as a “complete and total obliteration” of the targeted facilities, making any recovery effort both difficult and time-consuming.
The US leader has consistently used the term “nuclear dust” to describe Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium, which Washington alleges could be used in developing nuclear weapons. At times, he has also used the phrase to refer to remnants left behind after the strikes on Iranian nuclear infrastructure.
Despite Trump’s insistence that Iran’s enriched uranium could eventually be moved to US territory, Iran’s foreign ministry has firmly denied any such arrangement or plan.
The remarks come amid rising tensions, as the United States intensifies pressure on Tehran, including threats to take further military action against vessels amid a growing blockade of Iranian ports.
Earlier developments saw a coordinated military offensive by the United States and Israel on February 28, targeting Iran’s nuclear programme. Israeli authorities have described the programme as an “existential threat,” claiming that Tehran accelerated its pursuit of nuclear weapons following the end of a 12-day conflict last June.
The earlier conflict involved extensive Israeli operations, supported by US airstrikes on key nuclear facilities, including a major uranium enrichment plant. Tensions in the region remain high as both sides continue to exchange accusations over nuclear ambitions and security threats.
Trump Says Recovering Iran’s Uranium Will Be Lengthy, Threatens Action as US Tightens Port Blockade
