Donald Trump declared on Tuesday that the United States would collaborate with Iran to extract "nuclear dust," a statement following reports of US B-2 bomber raids on an Iranian uranium site. Trump framed this arrangement as a "total and complete victory," asserting that Iran would be prevented from enriching uranium.
The core of the claim centers on an alleged US-Iran agreement to remove deeply buried nuclear material, with Trump citing B-2 bomber strikes as part of the operation.'
Iran has not publicly disclosed any plans to remove its nuclear material, nor have Iranian officials commented on a supposed deal with the US for such an undertaking. This development follows Trump's proclaimed two-week ceasefire in the ongoing Middle East war.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth offered a follow-up statement at a Pentagon briefing on Wednesday. A stated objective for Trump has been to prevent Iran from possessing or producing fuel for nuclear weapons. Details of the two-week ceasefire with Iran remain largely unclear.
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Trump's pronouncements on his Truth Social platform included the assertion that "there will be no enrichment of Uranium." He stated the US would "dig up and remove all of the deeply buried (B-2 Bombers) Nuclear ‘Dust'," which appears to reference past US strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.
Unpacking the Uranium Claim
While Western powers and Israel have long suspected Iran of pursuing nuclear weapons, Tehran maintains its program is for peaceful energy purposes. The ceasefire agreement reportedly includes the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. The extent of damage from recent military actions remains unconfirmed.
Reports from March and April 2026 indicated discussions within the Trump administration about recovering Iran's remaining highly enriched uranium stockpile. This material, needed for nuclear weapons, is believed to be stored deep underground at facilities like Isfahan and Natanz.
A previously outlined plan, briefed to Trump in early April 2026, proposed inserting ground forces to remove Iran's nuclear material.' This operation, described as exceptionally difficult and unprecedented in wartime, would involve deploying excavation equipment and constructing a runway for cargo planes. Military officials have indicated that securing Iran's enriched uranium would necessitate a substantial US ground force, exceeding a small special operations contingent.
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The bombing campaign conducted in June 2025 reportedly struck three Iranian nuclear facilities, but did not entirely destroy the highly enriched uranium stockpile. Estimates suggest around 200 kilograms of Iran's enriched uranium may still be present at the Isfahan site, with additional material possibly at Natanz.
