US press reports revealed that the leadership in Washington recently halted a covert military plan aimed at sending special ground forces to seize highly enriched uranium stockpiles inside fortified underground Iranian nuclear facilities. The decision to freeze the operation came after a careful review of military and intelligence estimates, which warned that executing it could ignite a large-scale confrontation, lead to significant US casualties, and cause disastrous repercussions for the global economy. Military experts and officials doubted the feasibility of securing and transporting nuclear materials from complex geographical sites, while assessments warned of the possibility that Tehran might resort, as a retaliatory option, to threatening international shipping lanes in strategic straits. This prompted the US administration to pause the direct military option despite its growing concerns.