U.S. B-2 Bombers Strike Iran's Fordo Nuclear Facility

The United States military conducted airstrikes against Iran's underground Fordo nuclear enrichment facility using B-2 bombers. The operation utilized 30,000-pound GBU-57 bunker-buster bombs designed to penetrate hardened targets. Because the facility is buried between 260 and 360 feet underground, strike planners targeted ventilation shafts to blow off concrete caps and drop multiple bombs directly into the shafts.

U.S. officials stated the objective was to destroy centrifuges through shock waves and explosive effects rather than direct hits to the centrifuge chambers. While a U.S. Defense Department assessment describes the site as badly damaged, some experts suggest the facility's location in porous volcanic ignimbrite rock may have absorbed blast energy, potentially limiting the overall impact.

The total setback to the Iranian nuclear program remains uncertain. Analysts are currently evaluating whether the damage resulted from shock waves or a fiery blast to determine the extent of the operational failure at the site.