Brian Kennedy: Removing Iran's Uranium Would Require Thousands Of U.S. Troops

RealClearPolitics  |  Ian Schwartz

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is scheduled to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump amid escalating tensions following a reported Ukrainian strike on an Iranian commercial vessel in the Caspian Sea. Tehran has warned that the attack, which killed a sailor, will not go unanswered, accusing Kyiv of acting at Israel's behest to draw Europe into a wider conflict.

This maritime confrontation highlights the deeply entrenched strategic alliance between Moscow and Tehran, which has facilitated joint military and nuclear development for nearly three decades. While Kyiv intends to present evidence of this cooperation, Washington faces the complex challenge of deterring Iranian retaliatory capabilities without triggering a broader regional war. Securing or extracting enriched uranium from facilities like Pickaxe Mountain remains highly problematic, as any ground operation would require thousands of American troops. Such a deployment would expose personnel to ballistic missile strikes, especially given potential shortages of U.S. air defence interceptors.

Comment

Ukrainian maritime operations in the Caspian Sea expose the geographical expansion of Kyiv's targeting envelope against Iranian logistics. This extension threatens the Volga-Don canal shipping routes facilitating Shahed-136 drone transfers to Russian forces. Consequently, Tehran's reliance on the deep-underground Fordow facility at Pickaxe Mountain reflects a defensive posture against American interdiction. Integrating Russian Almaz-Antei air defence systems at these Persian facilities complicates unilateral Western counter-proliferation options.

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