Kathmandu. Washington has used its giant bunker-buster bombs at Iran’s Fordo fuel enrichment plant, involving itself in Israel’s war against Iran.
The bombs were widely seen as the best chance to damage or destroy Fordo, built deep in the mountains and untouched by Israel’s week-long offensive.
Speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the operation ahead of an official briefing, a U.S. official confirmed their use in Sunday’s attack. The United States is the only military capable of dropping these weapons, and the movement of B-2 stealth bombers towards Asia on Saturday signalled possible U.S. activity.
Israeli leaders did not hide their hopes that President Donald Trump would join his week-old war on Iran. However, they also suggested that there are backup plans to destroy the site. It was unclear how much damage had been done on Fordo on Sunday morning.
The mission could have wider implications, including iran risking any opportunity to engage in Trump’s desired negotiations on its nuclear program and drag the US into another Middle East war.
What is a bunker-buster bomb?
‘Bunker Buster’ is a broad term used to describe bombs designed to penetrate deep under the surface before an explosion. In this case, it refers to the latest GBU-57A/B Massive Ordernance Penetrator bomb in the US Arsenal.
According to the US Air Force, the precise-guided bomb, weighing about 30,000 pounds (13,600 kg), is designed to attack deep-buried and hard bunkers and tunnels. It is believed to penetrate about 200 feet (61 m) below the surface before exploding, and can effectively drop bombs one after the other, drilling deeper and deeper with each successive explosion.
It was not immediately clear how many were used in sunday morning’s attack. The bomb carries a conventional warhead, but the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has confirmed that Iran is producing high-enriched uranium in Fordo.
As a result, if GBU-57A/B is used to hit the facility, then there is a possibility that nuclear materials can be released into the region. However, the Israeli attack on the centrifuge site in Natanz, another Iranian nuclear site, caused pollution only at the site and not in the surrounding area, the IAEA said.
American fighter jets also hit Natanz.
Fordo How difficult is the goal?
Fordo is Iran’s second nuclear enrichment facility after Natanz, which has already been targeted by Israeli air strikes. The IAEA believes the attacks had a “direct impact” on the facility’s underground centrifuge halls.
Fordo is smaller than Natanz and is built on a mountain side near the town of Qom, about 60 miles (95 kilometers) southwest of Tehran. It is believed to have started construction around 2006 and first came into operation in 2009. In the same year, Tehran publicly acknowledged its existence.
In addition to being an estimated 80 metres (260 feet) under rock and soil, the site is said to be protected by Iranian and Russian surface-to-air missile systems. However, those air defenses have probably already been hit by Israeli operations.
Israel claims to have destroyed most of Iran’s air defenses. Still, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that the goal of attacking Iran is to eliminate its missile and nuclear programs.
He called Iran’s missile and nuclear programs a threat to Israel’s existence. Officials said Fordo was part of the plan. “This whole operation… In fact, fordo has to be completed with the abolition,” Israel’s ambassador to the US, Yechiel Leiter, told Fox News.
Why should america be involved?
In principle, the GBU-57A/B can be dropped by any bomber capable of carrying weights, but according to the US Air Force, the US currently configures and programmes only its B-2 spirit stealth bomber to deliver the bomb.
The B-2 is flown only by the Air Force and produced by Northrop Grumman. According to the manufacturer, the B-2 can carry a payload of 40,000 pounds (18,000 kg), but according to the US Air Force, it has successfully tested the B-2 loaded with two GBU-57 A÷B bunker busters with a total weight of about 60,000 pounds (27,200 kg).
According to Northrop Grumman, a strategic long-range heavy bomber has a range of about 7,000 miles (11,000 kilometers) without refuelling and 11,500 miles (18,500 kilometers) once refueled and can reach any point in the world in hours.
It has been unclear in recent days whether the U.S. would be involved. At the G7 meeting in Canada, Trump was asked what it takes for Washington to get involved militarily and he said, “I don’t want to talk about that.” Then on Thursday, Trump said he would decide within “two weeks” whether to engage in talks with Iran over its nuclear program to give another chance. In the end, it took only two days to make a decision. – RSS
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