Inside the near-impossible challenge of seizing Iran's nuclear stockpile

President Trump has identified eliminating Iran's nuclear weapons capability as a key objective of his military campaign against Iran, but U.S. military experts assess that seizing or destroying Iran's nuclear stockpile would rank among the riskiest special operations missions ever attempted. Iran has dispersed its nuclear facilities across hardened, remote locations—a deliberate strategy that makes a targeted strike extraordinarily complex and dangerous. Any such operation would risk catastrophic unintended consequences, including regional escalation, civilian casualties, and potential nuclear accidents. The challenge underscores the gap between Trump's stated military objectives and the practical constraints facing Pentagon planners tasked with executing such a mission. Military strategists have flagged numerous technical and geopolitical obstacles that could derail or dangerously complicate any attempt.