60 Minutes 04/19/2026: Iran's HEU, One Mother's Story, Wild Concerto
Apr 20, 2026
Rachel Goldberg-Polin, an American-Israeli mother who lost her son Hersh on Oct. 7, 2023, shares her journey through loss and advocacy. The conversation covers the trauma of his capture, eyewitness accounts of his final days, and how she keeps his memory alive. Also featured: a look at removing weapons-grade uranium from hostile sites and a musical project weaving real animal sounds into orchestral compositions.
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Project Sapphire As A Blueprint
- Project Sapphire removed 600 kg of 90% enriched uranium from Kazakhstan in a six-week covert mission using diplomacy, 31 specialists, and three C-5 cargo planes.
- Teams packaged HEU into 450 crash‑survivable drums, disguised the mission as humanitarian aid, and loaded it onto Soviet trucks amid black ice before flying it to Oak Ridge.
Why Iran Removal Is Far Harder Than Kazakhstan
- A similar unilateral HEU removal in Iran would be far more dangerous because material sits deep in tunnels at Isfahan and Pickaxe Mountain and is protected underground.
- Experts say you'd likely need thousands of troops, a secure perimeter, and to overcome tunnel depth that bunker‑busters may not reach.
Only Remove HEU With Host Nation Consent
- Secure cooperation from the host nation before attempting HEU removal; the NNSA requires a willing partner to lead safe packaging and transport.
- Roker and others stress past removals succeeded because countries agreed and worked hand in hand with U.S. teams.
