Overview

• Israel’s Operation Rising Lion has struck Natanz and other enrichment sites but has yet to inflict significant damage on Fordow’s 80-metre-deep tunnels.
• The US Air Force has moved B-2 Spirit bombers and other assets into the Middle East to signal pressure on Tehran and to prepare options for deploying the 13,600 kg GBU-57A/B Massive Ordnance Penetrator.
• Military analysts say Israel lacks munitions capable of penetrating Fordow’s fortified underground bunkers, making US bunker-buster bombs critical to any successful raid.
• The International Atomic Energy Agency confirms Iran continues to produce highly enriched uranium at Fordow, raising concerns that a strike could release radioactive material into the surrounding region.
• In response to the threat of an attack, Iran has warned it will curtail cooperation with the IAEA and consider withdrawing from the Non-Proliferation Treaty to safeguard its nuclear program.