U.S. Military Prepped for Strike on Iran Nuclear Facilities, Retired Army Officer States

Retired Army Lt. Col. Tony Shaffer, president of the London Center for Policy Research, stated that the U.S. military has been “prepared for more than a while” to strike Iran, with Iran’s nuclear facilities being “a primary target.” The comments were made during an interview Thursday as new reports and satellite imagery indicate Iran is fortifying underground nuclear sites heavily damaged by 12 days of U.S. and Israeli strikes last June.

Shaffer added: “I think that the military has been prepared for more than a while on this,” emphasizing that one of the biggest concerns remains the lack of full confirmation from the U.S. and its allies regarding what damage was done or where Iran may have moved sensitive nuclear material.

“We have battle damage assessments we’ve done, but there’s been no physical access to the facilities or those areas where we believe they move some of the nuclear material,” Shaffer said.

He argued that this lack of access makes any future U.S. action more likely to focus on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure and suspected locations where nuclear material may be hidden away from inspectors.

Shaffer highlighted that Iran’s nuclear enrichment levels remain a central issue, noting civilian programs typically require only low levels of enrichment.

“Two to 5 percent is all the enrichment you need for civilian use,” Shaffer said. “They were at 60 percent to 80 percent. So, there’s no doubt they were up to no good.”

The retired intelligence officer suggested Iran might try to avoid a U.S. strike by offering renewed access to inspectors and presenting a diplomatic off-ramp.

“I think this is one of the things that the Iranians are smart,” Shaffer said. “They’ll back off and say, ‘Hey, you can go look.'”

Shaffer also expressed skepticism about progress in U.S.-Iran negotiations, warning that Tehran continues to refuse to address key concerns beyond its nuclear program.

Shaffer noted that the U.S. and Israel want talks to include Iran’s ballistic missile development and support for terrorist proxy groups such as Hezbollah, Hamas, and the Houthis.

“The Iranians continue to refuse,” he said, predicting the negotiations could “lead to a complete failure of the talks within a couple of days.”

Shaffer also pointed to growing concerns over Iran’s missile capabilities, including reported hypersonic weapons that could threaten Israel with little warning.

As tensions rise, Shaffer stated that a U.S. strike remains possible if President Donald Trump chooses to authorize it. If he does, Iran’s nuclear infrastructure would likely be among the first targets.