‘Bunker buster bombs dropped’: Which nuclear sites did US strike in Iran? Why it matters

US President Donald Trump introduced Saturday night that the United States has launched precision airstrikes on three of Iran’s most important nuclear amenities — Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan.“All planes are now outside of Iran air space,” Trump posted on Truth Social. “A full payload of BOMBS was dropped on the primary site, Fordow. There is not another military in the World that could have done this. NOW IS THE TIME FOR PEACE!”

What we all know in regards to the focused sites:

Natanz

The Natanz facility, situated round 220 kilometers southeast of Tehran, is the middle of Iran’s uranium enrichment efforts. It had already been struck by Israeli airstrikes earlier than the newest spherical of assaults. According to the UN’s nuclear watchdog, uranium at Natanz had been enriched to 60% purity — a stage near weapons-grade. Israel destroyed the above-ground components of the ability, and additional injury was reported underground the place highly effective centrifuges had been situated. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) believes most of those machines had been taken out when the ability provide was lower in the course of the assault.The IAEA confirmed that any radioactive contamination stayed throughout the website and didn’t unfold to close by areas. Iran had additionally begun constructing new sections deeper underground, close to a close-by mountain known as Kūh-e Kolang Gaz Lā (Pickax Mountain), to raised protect its operations. Over the years, Natanz has confronted a number of assaults, together with the notorious Stuxnet virus — a cyberweapon believed to have been created by the US and Israel — and different airstrikes linked to Israel.

Fordow

Fordow, one other enrichment facility, is about 100 kilometers southwest of Tehran. While not as massive as Natanz, it is taken into account a lot tougher to strike as a result of it’s constructed underneath a mountain and guarded by anti-aircraft programs. Iran stored the location secret till 2009, when Western intelligence found it and uncovered its existence. It homes superior centrifuges that work collectively to complement uranium.Because it is buried so deeply, solely extremely specialised bombs, just like the US-made GBU-57 “bunker buster,” can doubtlessly destroy it. These bombs are huge — weighing round 30,000 kilos — and may solely be dropped by America’s B-2 Spirit stealth bombers, operated solely by the US Air Force. This means any critical assault on Fordow would possible require direct US involvement.

Isfahan

The Isfahan Nuclear Technology Center lies about 350 kilometers southeast of Tehran and is understood for being Iran’s main nuclear analysis hub. It employs 1000’s of scientists and comprises three analysis reactors provided by China. Alongside the reactors, the location additionally contains laboratories and a uranium conversion facility, which performs a key function in the early levels of nuclear gas manufacturing.Israel has carried out strikes on components of the Isfahan website, together with the conversion plant. However, the IAEA has confirmed that there was no improve in radiation ranges after the strikes, indicating that the assaults did not trigger nuclear leakage.

Other sites not struck

While Natanz, Fordow, and Isfahan had been hit, a number of different components of Iran’s nuclear program haven’t been focused by current airstrikes. The most notable is the Bushehr nuclear energy plant, situated alongside the Persian Gulf, round 750 kilometers south of Tehran. This facility is used for civilian vitality and is fueled by uranium from Russia. It stays underneath IAEA supervision.Another essential website is the Arak heavy water reactor, located southwest of Tehran. Although it has the potential to supply plutonium — a fabric used in nuclear weapons — Iran had agreed to revamp it underneath the 2015 nuclear deal to scale back worldwide issues. Lastly, the Tehran Research Reactor, housed throughout the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran’s headquarters, as soon as required extremely enriched uranium. It has since been modified to make use of low-enriched uranium as a non-proliferation measure.

Background to the escalation

The US airstrikes comply with carefully on the heels of Israel’s personal offensive, dubbed Operation Rising Lion, aimed toward disrupting Iran’s nuclear program. Iran responded with retaliatory actions of its personal earlier this week.

Iran’s nuclear historical past

Iran’s nuclear journey started in 1957 with help from the US underneath the Shah’s regime, targeted on peaceable vitality growth. After the 1979 Islamic Revolution, relations soured and American help ended. Despite being a signatory to the UN’s Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) — which prohibits the event of nuclear weapons — Iran’s intentions have lengthy been a topic of worldwide suspicion.Now, with strikes on its nuclear heartland, the area stands at a harmful crossroads — with the potential of diplomacy or a wider battle hanging in the stability.