A few hours later, around 7 in the morning, Iran replied with a missile attack against Israel. The explosions were felt in Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and Haifa, causing the activation of alarms and evacuations to the shelters. Some missiles have passed the Israeli defense systems, which reacted with new attacks against Iranian objectives.
The bombs “Bunker Buster”
The “Bunker Buster” bombs, such as the GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator, are designed to penetrate the subsoil before exploding. Each bomb weighs about 13,600 kilograms and can only be transported from Stealth B-2 Spirit bombers. During the attack of this night, six B-2 have released 10 bombs on the Fordow website, while two others hit Natanz. The formation has taken off from the base of Witheman, in Missouri, towards the base of Guam, in the Pacific. From there, the green light at the night raid. The configuration of the B-2 allows the transport of two bombs each, ensuring precision in attacks against strengthened underground installations: The aircraft is able to travel up to 18,500 kilometers with retifice in flight (below you can see how it is made). Hunt not only can transport two GBU-57, but it is also designed to evade radar, making it ideal for missions of this type. With a maximum load maximum of 18,000 kilograms, the B-2 represents a unique resource in the US arsenal.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hq5Avzevprg
To pierce the “Sacro Monte” that hid Iranian nuclear projects, as mentioned, the US used the GBU-57a/B bomb: a 14-tonal device about capable of penetrating even 60 meters of concrete and 100 of rock. The GBU praises the ground and then explodes at a later time in order to destroy what is inside the target. To be precise, the US have released 10 on the website of Fordow and two on Natanz. Then another 30 cruise missiles, launched by the US Navy, hit the other nuclear center, that of Isfahan. The coordination with Israel was fundamental: Tel Aviv had already conquered supremacy on the Iranian skies and this has allowed America to reduce the use of other hunting in the clash with Tehran. Even the Iranian anti-aircraft shield had already been debilitated by the precise attacks of Netanyahu’s aviation.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uw9bonx1qk4
Fordow: the fulcrum of the attack
Fordow is considered one of the most protected nuclear sites in the world. Built inside a mountain and located about 95 km from Tehran, the site is surrounded by Iranian and Russian air defense systems. Its structure and position make it a particularly difficult goal. Located on a mountain near the city of Qom, about 95 kilometers from Tehran, it is a sort of fortress in the subsoil: it was built between 2006 and 2007, but its existence was officially recognized by Iran only in 2009. Excavated at a depth between 80 and 90 meters, Fordow hosts over 2,000 centrifuges for the enrichment of the uranium. The site was built to resist both conventional and seismic events, thanks to the use of high resistance concrete. The complex is protected by a single main access, checkpoints and advanced defense systems, including earth-air missiles.
Fordow is considered central to the Iranian nuclear program for the ability to enrich Uranium at high levels. In 2023, theInternational Agency for Atomic Energy (AIEA) had detected uranium particles enriched at 83.7%, a value close to 90% necessary for the production of nuclear weapons. After the Israeli attack on the Iraqi reactor of Osirak in 1981, Iran adopted a depth protection policy for its strategic sites. Fordow is the symbol of this strategy: a secret place, designed not only for physical resistance, but also as a deterrent against external attacks.
However, American President Donald Trump declared that “enrichment structures were completely annihilated”. Only time will allow us to understand the actual damage caused by American bombings on Iranian sites.
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