Trump Claims Iran Will Hand Over Buried Enriched Uranium as Hegseth Threatens Possible New Strikes if It Does Not
President Trump said the U.S. would work with Iran to "dig up" buried enriched uranium, a claim Iran has not confirmed, while Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth warned at an April 8 Pentagon briefing that Tehran will either hand over such material voluntarily or face possible strikes "like" last summer’s U.S.–Israeli attacks, a contingency the U.S. "reserves." Hegseth said the U.S. military has "for now" done its part to enforce a two‑week ceasefire and stands ready to ensure Iran upholds its terms, comments echoed by Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine’s account of extensive strike damage and logistics.
📌 Key Facts
- At an April 8 Pentagon news conference, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the U.S. military has "for now" done its part in Iran and stands ready to ensure Iran upholds "every reasonable term" of the ceasefire after President Trump agreed to a two-week Iran ceasefire.
- Hegseth asserted Iran will "give [buried enriched uranium] to us voluntarily" or the U.S. may conduct strikes "like" last summer’s joint U.S.–Israeli attacks on Iranian nuclear sites, adding "we reserve that opportunity."
- Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine said U.S. operations have struck more than 13,000 targets, destroyed roughly 80% of Iran’s air defense systems, hit 90% of its weapons factories, and sunk more than 90% of its regular naval fleet (about 150 ships).
- Hegseth described the war as a "capital 'V' military victory," claimed "we own their skies," and downplayed the shoot‑down of two U.S. jets as Iran having "got lucky one time in 40 days."
- Caine provided logistical details for the campaign, saying it consumed more than 6 million meals, about 950,000 gallons of coffee, 2 million energy drinks and "a lot of nicotine."
📊 Relevant Data
As of February 2026, Iran possessed approximately 440.9 kilograms of uranium enriched to 60% purity, a level close to weapons-grade, much of which was buried under rubble from U.S.-Israeli strikes in June 2025.
Securing Iran's enriched uranium by force would be risky and complex, experts say — WTOP
U.S. sanctions on Iran have caused its oil exports to drop by over 90% since 2018, leading to an economic contraction of about 20% and widespread protests, with energy revenues being a primary target.
1224 U.S. Sanctions that Buried Iran's Economy, in One Graphic — Kharon
In the U.S., 86% of Republicans support military action against Iran, compared to only 14% of Democrats, reflecting a significant partisan divide in approval of the conflict.
Three charts that are warning signs flashing for Trump on Iran — BBC
Black households in the U.S. spend an average of 5.1% of their income on energy costs, compared to 3.2% for White households, with disparities exacerbated by oil price spikes from geopolitical tensions like the Iran conflict.
Black families pay more to keep their houses warm than average — Phys.org
📰 Source Timeline (2)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
- At an April 8 Pentagon news conference, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the U.S. military has 'for now' done its part in Iran but stands ready to ensure Iran upholds 'every reasonable term' of the ceasefire.
- Hegseth asserted that Iran will 'give [buried enriched uranium] to us voluntarily' or the U.S. may conduct strikes 'like' last summer’s joint U.S.–Israeli attacks on Iranian nuclear sites, adding 'we reserve that opportunity.'
- Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine claimed U.S. operations have struck more than 13,000 targets, destroyed roughly 80% of Iran’s air defense systems, hit 90% of its weapons factories, and sunk more than 90% of its regular naval fleet, including about 150 ships.
- Hegseth described the war as a 'capital "V" military victory,' said 'we own their skies,' and dismissed the shoot‑down of two U.S. jets as Iran having 'got lucky one time in 40 days.'
- Caine gave colorful logistics details, saying the operation consumed more than 6 million meals, about 950,000 gallons of coffee, 2 million energy drinks and 'a lot of nicotine.'