There is speculation that if the United States wages a ground war with Iran, it could use a secret new weapon known as the "discombobulator."
According to Fox News on the 30th (local time), if the U.S. military carries out a mission to secure Iran's highly enriched uranium, it could incapacitate Iranian forces by using a directed-energy weapon known as the "discombobulator (a weapon that causes confusion)."
The weapon was reportedly used during the U.S. invasion of Venezuela in the process of capturing Venezuela President Nicolás Maduro, and it strikes targets with high-power energy such as extremely high-frequency microwaves, causing bleeding, pain, burns and loss of motor function.
A Venezuelan security guard described the situation in which the weapon was used, saying, "Some guards were bleeding from their noses, and some were even vomiting blood," and added, "Right after the attack we couldn't move, and after collapsing we couldn't get back up."
On the broadcast, Jim Hanson, a former U.S. Army Special Forces soldier and chief strategist at the Middle East Forum, mentioned the discombobulator while presenting various scenarios for a mission to seize Iran's uranium.
Hanson said, "I want helicopters to land on Iran's southern beaches, and for Valkyrie (warriors) to burn the enemy with the discombobulator," adding, "When this weapon is used, you feel immediate heat, and a very intense sonic wave makes it feel like an explosion goes off inside your head, causing you to faint in an instant."
Earlier, President Trump was reported to be considering a military operation to seize 1,000 pounds (about 450 kilograms) of highly enriched uranium held by Iran. If the operation materializes, U.S. forces would have to penetrate Iran's surface-to-air missiles and drone attacks to enter nuclear facilities, and an elite special operations team trained in removing radioactive materials would collect the nuclear material. In the process, they may need to bring in equipment and build a new temporary airstrip to transport the nuclear material out.
On this, former Central Command chief Joseph Votel warned, "This is absolutely not a quick in-and-out operation," adding, "It could go beyond the initially planned four-to-six-week war timeline."