Pentagon Confirms Successful Attacks on Iran's Fordo Nuclear Facility

The recent strikes on Iran's uranium enrichment facility at Fordo have reportedly achieved their intended objectives, as confirmed by U.S. government officials. During a Pentagon press briefing, U.S. Army Chief of Staff Dan Caine stated that assessments of military actions are conducted by intelligence agencies, not by the military itself. He noted that the attacks on the underground facility were executed with precision.

Caine elaborated that the weapons used, specifically the GBU-57 bunker buster bombs, were properly tested and deployed at the correct altitude. These advanced munitions are designed to penetrate deep underground and detonate effectively without leaving a visible crater on the surface. As a result, their impact is often difficult to discern from above.

The Fordo facility, which is situated well below ground, is crucial to Iran's nuclear ambitions, particularly if the country seeks to develop atomic weapons. Analysts believe that a specialized weapon, such as the U.S. GBU-57A/B Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP), is essential for effectively targeting such a heavily fortified site. This particular bomb, known as the strongest conventional bomb in the U.S. arsenal, has never been used in combat.

The GBU-57A/B MOP was developed in response to the inadequacy of earlier bunker busters during the 2003 Iraq War, which failed to neutralize deeply buried targets. Priced at approximately $2 million per unit, the GBU-57 is about six meters long and weighs nearly 14 tons. It can reach targets located as deep as 60 meters underground, making it significantly more powerful than other bunker-busting munitions that can only penetrate less than ten meters.

Equipped with a specialized fuze, the GBU-57 detonates underground, allowing it to identify and exploit voids within the earth to maximize its destructive capacity. Although discussions have emerged regarding the potential of employing this weapon against Iran's nuclear infrastructure, its significant weight limits its delivery to large bombers, such as the U.S. B-2 stealth bomber, which can carry up to two of these bombs.

Reports from U.S. media suggested that Iran may have moved enriched uranium to safety prior to the attacks. However, Pentagon officials, including Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, dismissed these claims, asserting that there was no credible information supporting the notion that uranium had been relocated before the U.S. strikes. President Donald Trump also refuted these reports, maintaining that no materials were extracted from the facility in advance of the military action.

Hegseth further criticized media interpretations of initial military intelligence assessments regarding the effectiveness of the U.S. strikes, labeling them as preliminary and lacking coordination with other intelligence entities. He emphasized that the initial reports should not be viewed as definitive conclusions on the outcomes of the military operation.

While some media outlets, including CNN, have reported that the attacks may have only delayed Iran's nuclear program by a few months without completely dismantling its uranium supply or centrifuges, Pentagon officials continue to frame the military operations as a success that contributes to regional stability.