Given the substantial depth of the Fordow construction, a direct path is vital. The US military relies on a simulated facility model to determine “how much pressure it could withstand before causing severe damage or even collapsing.” By focusing on specific targeted areas with multiple munitions, the US did not require bombs capable of penetrating the full 260 feet to inflict significant harm.
“We can observe six craters, two groups of three, where the 12 massive ordnance penetrators were deployed,” elucidated Jeffrey Lewis, director of the East Asia Nonproliferation Program at the Middlebury Institute’s James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies. “The tactic is to repeatedly strike the same spot to intensify the process of digging down.”
This disparity adds to the uncertainty surrounding the extent of the devastation suffered by the Fordow site. President Donald Trump took to his Truth Social platform following the attack, declaring, “Fordow has been obliterated,” and later affirmed in a televised address that “Iran’s key nuclear enrichment facilities have been entirely obliterated.” General Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, however, approached the situation with more caution during a Sunday morning briefing, stating, “It’s premature for me to comment on what may or may not remain intact.”
“They aren’t necessarily trying to penetrate deep into the facility. The objective is likely to crush it with a shockwave,” suggested Lewis. “A potent shockwave throughout the facility would result in casualties, structural damage, and compromise its integrity.”
When the United States carried out airstrikes on Iran early Sunday morning local time, they targeted three crucial facilities related to the country’s nuclear ambitions: the Fordow uranium enrichment plant, the Natanz nuclear facility, and the Isfahan nuclear technology center. Recently released satellite images depict the aftermath of the attack and reveal some of the visible impact on the ground.
The majority of the airstrikes were concentrated on Fordow, where US forces utilized twelve GBU-57 massive ordnance penetrators as part of the “Midnight Hammer” operation. These 30,000-pound “bunker-buster” bombs are specifically engineered to pierce up to 200 feet into the ground before detonating. The Fordow complex is located around 260 feet below ground.
Satellite images can only offer limited insights into a structure buried deep underground. Nonetheless, images before and after the bombing provide the most accessible insights into the impact of the airstrikes.
The specific locations of these craters are crucial, underscored Joseph Rodgers, deputy director and fellow at the Project on Nuclear Issues within the Center for Strategic and International Studies. While the entry tunnels to the Fordow complex seem untouched, the US bombs targeted likely ventilation shafts, based on previous images of the site’s construction.
“Ventilation shafts are targeted because they offer a more direct route to the core sections of the underground facility,” explained Rodgers.
