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Bipartisan Bunker Buster Act Would Arm Israel With U.S. B-2 Bombers

The measure would grant the president power to hand over B-2 stealth bombers plus 30,000-pound bombs if Iran revives its nuclear program.

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Overview

  • The Bunker Buster Act, introduced July 2 by Reps. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) and Mike Lawler (R-NY), would let the president transfer U.S. B-2 stealth bombers and 30,000-pound GBU-57 bunker-buster munitions to Israel under specified conditions.
  • The International Atomic Energy Agency reported that centrifuges at Iran’s Fordow facility are no longer operational after recent strikes but cautioned that Tehran could restart enrichment within months.
  • In late June, U.S. and Israeli forces dropped 14 GBU-57 bombs on Iran’s Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan sites, yet Pentagon intelligence determined the strikes only delayed Iran’s nuclear progress.
  • The United States operates 19 B-2 bombers and has never before transferred custody of them or their specialized munitions to an ally, marking a potential shift in longstanding arms-sharing policy.
  • With the bill pending before congressional committees, lawmakers are preparing to debate its strategic merits and the broader diplomatic repercussions of bolstering Israel’s deterrence against Iran.