Trump Says He Considered Special Ops Raid on Iranian Nuclear Sites but ‘Didn’t Want to Be Jimmy Carter’ President Donald Trump considered a special operations mission to recover highly enriched uranium from Iran. He ultimately decided against the mission, stating he did not want to emulate President Jimmy Carter’s failed 1980 Operation Eagle Claw, a rescue attempt for U.S. hostages in Iran. That operation resulted in the deaths of eight U.S. service members in an accident within Iran.

• President Trump considered a special operations mission to recover enriched uranium from Iran.
• He cited the risks involved and did not want to repeat the failures of President Jimmy Carter’s Operation Eagle Claw.
• Operation Eagle Claw, a 1980 attempt to rescue U.S. hostages in Iran, ended in failure and the deaths of eight service members.