Six Massive Bunker-Busters Dropped on Iran’s Primary Nuclear Site
U.S. forces struck three critical Iranian nuclear facilities—Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan—delivering a significant blow to Iran’s nuclear program, President Donald Trump announced via Truth Social on Saturday night. The strikes, detailed by Fox News Pentagon correspondent Jennifer Griffin, involved B-2 stealth bombers deploying GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrators (MOPs) on Fordow and U.S. Navy submarines launching approximately 30 Tomahawk missiles at Natanz and Isfahan. The operation, described as a “complete success,” has left Fordow, Iran’s most fortified nuclear enrichment site, “gone,” according to Trump.
Griffin, reporting live from the Pentagon, confirmed that six 30,000-pound GBU-57 bunker-buster bombs were dropped on Fordow, targeting its air ventilation shafts rather than the two main entrances, which are buried 90 feet underground within a mountainside near Qom. “The B-2 bombers, flying from Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri, likely dropped three MOPs through each ventilation shaft,” Griffin reported, citing Pentagon sources. The bombs operate in pairs: the first penetrates approximately 200 feet, clearing soil and debris, while the second follows into the same 25-foot-radius hole to detonate deeper, collapsing the facility’s centrifuge chambers. “Fordow is gone, and that’s significant—it was Iran’s primary enrichment site,” Griffin emphasized.
The B-2s, which flew a 15-hour mission eastward from Missouri, required an extensive air refueling bridge, with approximately 30 tanker aircraft positioned across Europe and the Middle East. Flight trackers initially reported six B-2s heading toward Guam, a 30-hour flight, but Griffin clarified these were not involved in the strike. Instead, at least three B-2s, each carrying two MOPs, executed the Fordow attack, refueled en route to maintain stealth and endurance. The operation’s precision underscores the B-2’s unique capability to deliver the GBU-57, the only weapon capable of penetrating Fordow’s fortified structure.
Simultaneously, U.S. Navy Ohio-class guided-missile submarines, likely the USS Georgia or USS Florida, fired 30 Tomahawk missiles from approximately 400 miles away, targeting Natanz and Isfahan. Natanz, home to three underground enrichment facilities, and Isfahan, where uranium is processed and centrifuges are manufactured, were hit to disrupt Iran’s broader nuclear infrastructure. Griffin noted that Isfahan may be an even harder target than Fordow due to its deeper tunnel network within a mountain. “We’ll need to await bomb damage assessments to confirm the extent of destruction at Isfahan,” she said, citing sources who described it as a challenging site.
The strikes follow weeks of Israeli airstrikes that neutralized Iran’s air defenses, granting U.S. and Israeli forces air superiority over Tehran. Israel’s campaign, ongoing since June 12, has eliminated 14 Iranian nuclear scientists, 50 IRGC commanders, and over half of Iran’s mobile ballistic missile launchers, significantly weakening Tehran’s retaliatory capabilities. The U.S. operation was coordinated with Israel, whose F-16s and F-35s likely provided escort and electronic warfare support via E-18 Growlers from the USS Nimitz and USS Vinson carrier groups.
Trump’s Truth Social post declared, “Fordow is gone, and two other sites hit hard!” sparking global reactions. Iranian state media acknowledged the attacks but claimed no radioactive leakage occurred, vowing to rebuild. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei condemned the strikes as “an act of aggression,” warning of retaliation. Domestically, House Speaker Mike Johnson praised the operation as a “decisive blow,” while some Democrats, including Sen. Elizabeth Warren, criticized the lack of Congressional authorization, citing risks of escalation.
The operation’s success hinges on the B-2’s stealth and the GBU-57’s penetration power, with no other platform capable of destroying Fordow’s underground centrifuges. However, Isfahan’s deeper fortifications may require further strikes, pending damage assessments. The U.S. has bolstered its regional presence with two carrier strike groups, five Navy destroyers, and 300 ground troops operating THAAD and Patriot systems, signaling readiness for potential Iranian reprisals, including attacks on U.S. bases or disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz.
As the world awaits Iran’s response, the strikes mark a pivotal moment in U.S.-Iran relations, potentially derailing Tehran’s nuclear ambitions but risking a broader conflict. The Pentagon is expected to release further details in a Sunday briefing, while analysts monitor whether Iran’s depleted missile stockpile—down 500 of 1,000-2,000 capable of reaching Israel—can mount an effective counterattack.