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4h ago

US Bunker Busters Loom Over Ongoing Israel Strikes on Deeply Buried Iranian Nuclear Sites

Israel’s air campaign through Operation Rising Lion has left Fordow unscathed under 300 feet of rock, prompting speculation over a US strike with GBU-57 bombs.

Airmen look at a GBU-57, or the Massive Ordnance Penetrator bomb, at Whiteman Air Base in Missouri, USA.
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This U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) handout photo shows the Massive Ordinance Air Blast (MOAB) weapon at Eglin Air Force Base, Florida on March 11, 2003. The 21,000 pound bomb was dropped from a C-130 Hercules aircraft at the Eglin test range March 11, 2003.
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Overview

  • Israel launched Operation Rising Lion on June 15, hitting Iranian military command centers and surface sites but failing to damage hardened nuclear facilities.
  • The International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed that the Fordow uranium enrichment plant remains intact beneath roughly 300 feet of rock after repeated Israeli strikes.
  • The GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator is a 30,000-pound precision bomb designed to penetrate 200 feet of hardened material and has never been used in combat.
  • Only US B-2 Spirit stealth bombers based at Whiteman Air Force Base can carry the GBU-57, raising questions about Washington’s willingness to deploy the weapon.
  • Iran’s Supreme Leader warned of severe repercussions if the US intervenes directly, heightening tension as global powers monitor the conflict.