One side of the "nuclear triangle"... Is Isfahan witnessing American special operations?

Isfahan, in central Iran, has become the focus of military analysis after a series of strikes hit the Khatam al-Anbiya Air Base, the international airport, and the nuclear research center.

“Isfahan, in central Iran, has become the focus of military analysis after a series of strikes hit the Khatam al-Anbiya Air Base, the international airport, and the nuclear research center”

Al-Jazeera Net

Satellite images from the company Fantour also show strikes on the Martyr Ahmad Kazemi base, the Hesa Air Base, and the Isfahan Optical Industries plant.

Al-Jazeera Net

Military expert Brigadier Elias Hanna says Isfahan’s importance goes beyond that of an ordinary military base: it converts “yellowcake” into a gas that is sent to the enrichment centers at Natanz and Fordow, making it part of Iran’s most sensitive nuclear triangle that forms the hub of the main enrichment sites.

Hanna explained the logistical complexities of any operation against the city: the distance from Isfahan to the Iraqi border is 450 kilometers, and to the Azerbaijan border 700 kilometers, which makes any ground assault or precise raid a huge challenge.

Al-Jazeera Net

The United States speaks of 410 kilograms of uranium enriched to 60% distributed among Isfahan, Natanz, and Fordow, an amount that Hanna says is sufficient to produce a large number of nuclear bombs, which further multiplies the difficulty of any direct strike.

Hanna notes any potential operation would require intense air dominance and concentrated bombing to secure the area, along with precise tactical intelligence to determine the locations and condition of the uranium, and that special operations may be required but their execution is complex and necessitates coordination with dedicated air and intelligence support, not merely conventional bombing.

“Isfahan, in central Iran, has become the focus of military analysis after a series of strikes hit the Khatam al-Anbiya Air Base, the international airport, and the nuclear research center”

Al-Jazeera Net

Axios reported that Washington and Tel Aviv are discussing the possibility of carrying out a limited special-forces operation inside Iran, potentially working alongside nuclear experts to deal with and control Iran’s highly enriched uranium stockpile.

According to Axios, the potential plan rests on two main options: transporting the enriched uranium stocks out of Iran, or disabling the enrichment of those materials inside the nuclear facilities themselves.

Hanna asked whether recent U.S. movements—such as the deployment of strategic bombers and the 82nd Airborne Division—are actually linked to these special operations, considering that any operation in Isfahan would require extremely high-level experts and that the geographic and topographic complexities currently favor Iran.

Since February 28, Israel and the United States have been conducting attacks on Iran that have killed and wounded hundreds of people, including the Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, the defense minister, the commander of the Revolutionary Guard, and other military leaders.

Tehran has responded by launching missiles and drones toward Israel and by targeting what it describes as “American interests” in Arab and Gulf countries, causing deaths and injuries and damaging civilian facilities including airports, ports, and residential buildings.

Al-Jazeera Net