US strikes Iran: What to know about the bunker-buster bombs unleashed on Iranian Fordo nuclear facility

Bangkok – Upon introducing itself into the Israeli war against Iran, Washington unleashed its huge “hidden” bombs at the Iran Fordo fuel factory.

These bombs were widely seen as the best opportunity to destroy or destroy Fordo, which was built in the depths of a mountain and did not touch them during the Israeli attack for a week. Air General Dan Kane, Chairman of the Joint Staff Board of Directors, said that 14 bombs were used in a Sunday attack on Fordo and a second goal.

The United States is the only army capable of dropping weapons, and the B-2 bombers towards Asia on Saturday indicated that the potential activity by Israeli American leaders did not hide their hopes that President Donald Trump joined their week-old war against Iran, although they also suggested that they have backup plans to destroy the site.

Also read: Higseth says that the Iranian nuclear program “blur” in the US attacks

In all, the United States struck three nuclear sites and Kane’s origins to reporters on Sunday that “the initial damage assessments of the fighting indicate that all three sites were severely damaged.” The task can have widespread repercussions, including any opportunity to engage in Iran in Trump’s desirable talks on its nuclear program and withdraw the United States to another war in the Middle East.

Here is a closer look.

What is the hidden bomb?

“Bunker Buster” is a wide term used to describe the bombs designed to penetrate the depths of the surface before the explosion. In this case, it indicates the latest massive GBU-57 A/B in the American arsenal. A precision -guided bomb is designed approximately 30,000 lb (13600 kg) to attack warehouses and tunnels buried deeply and hardening, according to the US Air Force.

It is believed that it is able to penetrate about 200 feet (61 meters) below the surface before the explosion, and the bombs can be dropped one by one, and it is released effectively deeper and deeper with each consecutive explosion. The number of people used to strike on Sunday morning was not immediately known.

The bomb bears a traditional warhead, but the International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed that Iran produces highly enriched uranium in Fordo, which raised the possibility of launching nuclear materials in the region if GBU-57 A/B is used to reach the elbow. Initial assessments by the International Atomic Energy Agency, however, this did not happen.

How difficult is Fordo’s goal?

Fordo is the second nuclear enrichment facility in Iran after Natanz, the main attachment, which was already targeted by Israeli air strikes, and the United States was injured on Sunday, along with ISFAN. The International Atomic Energy Agency says it believes that these previous strikes had “direct effects” on the underground parcel halls in the facility.

Fordo is smaller than Natanz, which is built on the side of a mountain near the city of Qom, about 60 miles (95 km) southwest of Tehran. The construction is believed to have started around 2006 and became the first work in 2009 – in the same year, Tehran publicly approved its existence.

In addition to being an estimated 80 meters (260 feet) under rocks and soil, the site is said to be protected by Iranian and Russian missile systems. However, these air defenses may have already been shocked in the Israeli campaign, which claims to remove most of the Iranian air defenses and the American bombers have not been expelled during their mission.

However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the goal of attacking Iran is to eliminate its missile and nuclear program, which he described as an existential threat to Israel, and officials said Fordo was part of that plan.

“This entire process … must be truly completed with the cancellation of Fordo,” said Lycele Lieter, the Israeli ambassador to the United States, to Fox News.

Why does the United States need to participate?

In theory, GBU-57 A/B can be dropped by any striker capable of carrying weight, but at the present time the United States has formed and programmed a spiritual B-2 launcher to connect the bomb, according to the Air Force.

B-2 is transferred by the Air Force only, and it is produced by Northop Grumman.

According to the manufacturer, B-2 can carry a load of 40,000 pounds (18,000 kilograms), but the US Air Force said it succeeded in the B-2 test loaded with GBU-57 A/B Bunker Busters-a total weight of about 60,000 pounds (27,200 kg). In the attack on Fordo, Ken said that the first B-2 dropped two Bunker Busters on the facility.

The number of strategic -term heavy -term launchers is about 7,000 miles (11,000 km) without refueling and 11,500 miles (18,500 km) with fuel, and can reach any point in the world within hours, according to Northbound Groman.

The mission was transferred against Iran from its base in Missouri.

Trump was not binding

Whether the United States will participate has been unclear in recent days.

At the meeting of the Group of Seven in Canada, Trump was asked about what it takes until Washington was involved militarily and said: “I do not want to talk about it.”

Then on Thursday, Trump said he would decide within two weeks whether he would participate, to give another opportunity for negotiations with Iran on its nuclear program. In the end, it took just two days to make a decision.

Defense Minister Beit Higseth said that the Sunday attack is specifically limited to the three nuclear sites.

“This was intentionally limited, this is the message we send, with the capabilities of the US military almost unlimited,” he told reporters. “So Iran, in this sense, has a choice.”