Post-Strike Images At Fordow Nuclear Site Show Damage After US Bombed Iran

A day after US President Donald Trump bashed the Nobel authorities for not acknowledging his anti-war efforts, the United States has carried out precision airstrikes on the three nuclear facilities in Iran - Isfahan, Natanz and Fordow.

Hi-resolution pre and post impact satellite images of the Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant, which lies northeast of Qom, give a glimpse into the terrain in which the nuclear facility has been carved.

There are an artery of roads that lead to the facility, and multiple points which go into the facility and the pre-images also show a number of vehicles lined up near the entry point of the plant.

The post impact image of the Fordow nuclear facility shows two places which could have been possible bomb entry points. It also shows that the land had caved inwards post strike, whereas the tunnel entrances had been sealed with dirt.

Hassan Abedini, deputy political head of Iran's state broadcaster, said Iran had evacuated the three sites some time ago. "The enriched uranium reserves had been transferred from the nuclear centres and there are no materials left there that, if targeted, would cause radiation and be harmful to our compatriots", according to Reuters.

On June 20th, the US president sought a two-week deadline to decide whether or not to get involved in the Middle East crisis. However, a day later, heavy B-2 bombers were seen heading towards their target. 

The next day, Trump said that the US military has carried out a "very successful attack" on three Iranian nuclear sites, including the underground uranium enrichment facility at Fordow. "We have completed our very successful attack on the three Nuclear sites in Iran, including Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan," Trump said in a post on his Truth Social platform.

The entire Fordow plant is underneath the mountain site; there are no overt structures or chimneys because the whole nuclear reactor is underground, which is why the United States had to penetrate into it with bunker-buster weaponry.

America's bunker-busting bomb is the only weapon capable of destroying Iran's buried nuclear facilities. The GBU-57 is a 30,000-pound (13,607 kg) warhead capable of penetrating 200 feet (61 meters) underground before exploding. The design for the bomb began during the early 2000s, and it can even navigate through rock or concrete.

Trump also told Fox News that six bunker-buster bombs were dropped on Fordow, while 30 Tomahawk missiles were fired against other nuclear sites.

Per Reuters, given its fortification, it will likely be days, if not longer, before the impact of the strikes is known. 

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), says that Iran has enriched Uranium up to 83.7 per cent purity at the Fordow facility. A total of 90 per cent purity is needed to make nuclear bombs.
 

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