Archive · 21 Jun 2025
Israel's Fordow Target and US Bunker Buster Bombs
Israel wants to attack a secret Iranian nuclear site, but it is buried deep underground.
To destroy it, Israel might need special bombs called "bunker busters" from the US.
These bombs are made to go through rock and concrete before they explode.
One of these bombs is the MOP, a very large bomb.
The US has stated that Iran should not have a nuclear weapon.
Israel may need US-provided "bunker buster" bombs to target Iran's Fordow nuclear facility.
The Fordow facility is built into a mountain and is Tehran's second nuclear enrichment site.
"Bunker buster" bombs are designed to penetrate deep underground before exploding.
The Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) is a specific type of bunker buster bomb, weighing 13.6 tonnes.
The GBU-57 A/B Massive Ordnance Penetrator bomb is the latest bunker buster in the US arsenal and can penetrate about 200 feet.
- Who
- Israel, Iran, and the United States.
- What
- The potential use of "bunker buster" bombs by Israel to target Iran's Fordow nuclear facility.
- When
- The report is relevant to the current situation.
- Where
- Iran (Fordow nuclear facility) and the US.
- Why
- To potentially destroy Iran's Fordow nuclear facility.
Military Action Supporters
Diplomacy Advocates
Military Intervention vs. Diplomacy
Military Action Supporters
Support providing bunker buster bombs for potential strikes.
Diplomacy Advocates
Caution against involvement and prioritize diplomacy
- Facility Location
- Fordow nuclear facility, Iran
- Bomb Type
- GBU-57 A/B Massive Ordnance Penetrator
- Bomb Weight
- 30000 pounds (approx.)
- Penetration Depth
- Approximately 200 feet
- Target
- Fordow nuclear facility
Sources
What US military assets could be deployed in the Middle East?
What Is 30,000-Pound ‘Bunker-Buster’? Israel Eyes US Bomb To Strike Iran's Most Fortified Nuclear Site
US moving fighter jets to Middle East as Israel-Iran war rages
US Deploys B-52 Bombers To Middle East Amid Escalating Tensions With Iran
US Deploying More Fighter Jets To West Asia As Trump Mulls Strikes On Iranian Nuclear Sites
Bunker-Buster Bomb Draws Focus as Trump Weighs Iran Options
Iran Preparing Missiles For Potential Strikes On US Military Bases In Middle East: Report
This ‘bunker buster’ US bomb could cripple Iran’s nuclear ambitions
B-52 Bomber: America's strategic ace in the Iran-Israel nuclear standoff
About US GBU-57, Only Buster Bomb Capable Of Hitting Iran's Nuclear Sites
Why Iran’s Fordow nuclear site that Israel wants to hit may be a big dilemma for Trump
'Tankers moving closer, warships deployed': Is US military ready to enter Israel-Iran war? Here's what the weapon movement suggest