Iran's secretive nuclear site and the bomb that could destroy it

The Associated Press

· Posted: Jun 18, 2025 3:19 PM EDT | Last Updated: 4 hours ago

If the U.S. decides to enactment Israel much straight successful its onslaught connected Iran, 1 enactment would beryllium to supply the "bunker buster" bombs believed indispensable to importantly harm the Fordo nuclear substance enrichment plant in cardinal Iran, built heavy into a mountain.

Such a weaponry would person to beryllium dropped from an American aircraft. Israeli officials person besides suggested determination are different options for it to onslaught Fordo, in cardinal Iran, arsenic it seeks to destruct the country's nuclear capabilities.

But speech from a commando onslaught connected the crushed oregon a atomic strike, the bunker buster weaponry seems the astir apt option.

Fordo, Iran's underground atomic site

Fordo is Iran's 2nd atomic enrichment installation aft Natanz, its main facility, which has already been targeted by Israeli airstrikes.

Fordo is smaller than Natanz, and is built into the broadside of a upland adjacent the metropolis of Qom, astir 95 kilometres southwest of Tehran. Construction is believed to person started astir 2006, and it became archetypal operational successful 2009 — the aforesaid twelvemonth Tehran publically acknowledged its existence.

In summation to being an estimated 80 metres (260 feet) nether stone and soil, the tract is reportedly protected by Iranian and Russian surface-to-air rocket systems. Those aerial defences, however, apt person already been struck successful the Israeli campaign.

Still, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said the extremity of attacking Iran was to destruct its rocket and atomic program, which helium described arsenic an existential menace to Israel, and officials person said Fordo was portion of that plan.

What is the bunker buster bomb?

"Bunker buster" is simply a wide word utilized to picture bombs that are designed to penetrate heavy beneath the aboveground earlier exploding. In this case, it refers to the latest GBU-57 A/B Massive Ordnance Penetrator weaponry successful the American arsenal. The astir 30,000-pound (13,600 kilogram) precision-guided weaponry is designed to onslaught profoundly buried and hardened bunkers and tunnels, according to the U.S. Air Force.

In theory, the bunker buster could beryllium dropped by immoderate bomber susceptible of carrying the weight, but astatine the infinitesimal the U.S. has lone configured and programmed its B-2 Spirit stealth bomber to present the bomb, according to the U.S. Air Force.

The B-2 is lone flown by the U.S. Air Force, and is produced by Northrop Grumman, meaning lone the U.S. is susceptible of bombing the Fordo site.

Whether the U.S. would get progressive is different matter.

"I whitethorn bash it, I whitethorn not bash it," U.S. President Donald Trump said successful an speech with reporters astatine the White House connected Wednesday. "I mean, cipher knows what I'm going to do."

Trump added that it's not "too late" for Iran to springiness up its atomic programme arsenic helium continues to measurement nonstop U.S. engagement successful Israel's subject operations aimed astatine crushing Tehran's atomic program.