• Economy
  • Editor’s Pick
Money Rise Today – Investing and Stock News
  • Investing
  • Stock
Editor's Pick

Experts gauge success of ‘bunker buster’ bombs dropped by US on Iran nuclear sites

by June 24, 2025
written by June 24, 2025

While President Donald Trump has asserted that the military’s weekend strike against Iran ‘completely and totally obliterated’ its nuclear weapon-making capabilities, there are still questions about whether the ground-penetrating ‘bunker buster’ bombs used to attack Iran’s key enrichment sites were enough to stop the rogue country from developing a nuclear bomb.

A report released last week by the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) explains that the special ‘bunker buster’ bombs the U.S. used in Iran over the weekend that everyone is talking about, known as GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrators, or MOPs, might not be able to fully destroy the Iranian nuclear facility at Fordow. Fordow, which Trump said was ‘gone’ now following the strike, is considered central to Iran’s nuclear weapon-making capabilities. 

Meanwhile, a satellite imagery expert relayed to Reuters that confirmation of below-ground destruction could not be determined via pictures alone, because the facility’s hundreds of centrifuges are too deeply buried in order to make an accurate determination. 

‘I actually have a little bit of a rosier view on things,’ Andrea Stricker, Deputy Director at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies’ Nonproliferation and Biodefense Program, told Fox News Digital. ‘I think that because of the massive damage and the shock wave that would have been sent by 12 Massive Ordnance Penetrators at the Fordow site, that it likely would render its centrifuges damaged or inoperable.’

Stricker noted that centrifuges are ‘very delicate’ and the kind of shock wave coming from the MOPs would at least put them ‘out of commission.’ She also said if any centrifuges did survive the blasts, it would be likely that they would be inaccessible by Iranian authorities for several months.   

‘Underground facilities present a difficult target, not only for destruction, but also in terms of follow-on battle damage assessment,’ added Wes Rumbaugh, a fellow in the Missile Defense Project at CSIS. ‘The United States and Israel will likely need to invest additional intelligence resources to determine the true extent of the damage from the U.S. strikes and their long-term effect on Iranian nuclear infrastructure.’

In addition to Fordow, the U.S. used its MOPs at an Iranian enrichment facility called Natanz, where, according to Stricker, at least 1,000 centrifuges are located, as well as an above-ground enrichment plant and other labs capable of making uranium metal. 

According to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) the above-ground labs had previously been damaged by Israeli airstrikes, destroying the plant’s electrical infrastructure. Meanwhile, satellite imagery following the U.S.’s decision to drop two MOPs on Natanz show two craters located where the site’s underground enrichment facilities are reportedly located. However, it is still not clear if the U.S. attacks completely destroyed the underground nuclear infrastructure.  

Either way, Striker noted, the significant damage to Iran’s Natanz facility will create a ‘bottleneck’ in the country’s supply chain for weapons-grade uranium, which will significantly impact Iran’s nuclear weapon-making capabilities. 

The third site targeted by the U.S.’s airstrikes was Iran’s Isfahan nuclear enrichment facility, but MOPs were not used at that site. Instead, the U.S. used Tomahawk cruise missiles, which the IAEA confirmed caused significant damage. Satellite imagery reportedly shows Isfahan’s above-ground facilities were taken out, but it remains unclear the extent of the damage to the site’s underground sections.

   

One of the biggest outstanding questions regarding the success of the United States’ weekend strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities, is whether authorities in the country were able to move their nuclear materials from the targeted sites before the U.S. launched its missiles at them. But, according to CSIS’s Bumbaugh, even if that is the case and Iran moved their nuclear materials, the chaos would still make it hard for Iran to ‘sprint to a nuclear weapon.’  

‘Having to move these assets to new facilities likely degrades Iran’s immediate ability to sprint to a nuclear weapon but makes it likely that Iran will go to great lengths to conceal their new location,’ Bumbaugh said. ‘This movement of nuclear infrastructure or material would make follow-on strikes difficult if intelligence is unable to find all of the new hidden facilities.’

‘There’s a lot of alarmism right now about whether Iran could sprint to a bomb,’ Stricker added. ‘Israel has done so much damage to their ability to make nuclear weapons [and] the weaponization supply chain. So the facilities, the components that [Iran] would need, the equipment, and then up to 14 nuclear scientists, I think, if they did want to build a bomb quickly, they’re really stymieing – they don’t have access to all of all that, all of those assets they would need. And so, I think in the short to medium term, we don’t need to be overly concerned that they could get there.’

Fox News Digital reached out to both the Pentagon and the Air Force to glean more details about the success of the weekend strike on Iran, but no new information was gleaned.

An Air Force spokesperson did confirm to Fox News Digital that, in total, U.S. forces deployed 75 ‘precision guided weapons’ targeting Iran over the weekend, including 14 30,000 pound GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrators.

On Monday, Rafael Grossi, head of the IAEA, appealed for immediate access to the targeted Iranian nuclear sites in order to assess the damage that is likely ‘significant,’ according to the United Nations. 

This post appeared first on FOX NEWS
0 comment
0
FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail

previous post
Biden’s Middle East coordinator praises Trump team for handling of Iranian conflict: ‘Best place we can be’
next post
Trump’s big achievement in bombing Iran, still slammed by critics – as he suggests ‘regime change’

related articles

Is Trump considering bold Africa play to push...

August 28, 2025

CDC Director Susan Monarez refuses to be fired...

August 28, 2025

Bill Gates met with Trump to talk ‘importance...

August 28, 2025

Trump asks SCOTUS to uphold freeze on billions...

August 27, 2025

White House demands all Gaza hostages return home...

August 27, 2025

Apple expected to roll out texting update that...

August 27, 2025

Cracker Barrel’s logo mea culpa is a start...

August 27, 2025

Mike Johnson hits iconic Nashville bar, blasts Dems...

August 27, 2025

Trump touts massive fundraising haul since winning 2024...

August 27, 2025

House Democrats call on Rubio to allow injured...

August 27, 2025
Enter Your Information Below To Receive Free Trading Ideas, Latest News, And Articles.


Your information is secure and your privacy is protected. By opting in you agree to receive emails from us. Remember that you can opt-out any time, we hate spam too!

Latest News

  • US confirms 104% tariffs on Chinese imports effective April 9: ‘Additional tariff will be collected starting tomorrow’

    April 9, 2025
  • $15M reward announced for alleged Chinese ringleader, others accused of smuggling US drone technology to Iran

    March 19, 2025
  • Microsoft’s loss, Nvidia’s gain: Should investors worry about ever-increasing AI spending?

    July 31, 2024
  • SEN. JEANNE SHAHEEN: If Trump wants a Ukraine deal, he should reread his own book

    May 29, 2025
  • Republican Kevin Hern profits from UNH stock while overseeing Medicare policy

    July 18, 2024

Popular Posts

  • 1

    Secret Service admits leaning on ‘state and local partners’ after claim it ignored Trump team’s past requests

    July 21, 2024
  • 2

    Five more House Democrats call on Biden to drop out, third US senator

    July 19, 2024
  • 3

    Elon and Vivek should tackle US funding for this boondoogle organization and score a multimillion dollar win

    December 4, 2024
  • 4

    Forex Profit Calculator: Maximize Your Trading Potential

    July 10, 2024
  • 5

    Biden calls to ‘lower the temperature’ then bashes Trump in NAACP speech

    July 17, 2024

Categories

  • Economy (829)
  • Editor's Pick (5,836)
  • Investing (634)
  • Stock (905)

Latest Posts

  • Macy’s turnaround hinges on revamping some stores and closing others. It appears to be working.

    March 7, 2025
  • Wes Moore, considered a rising star among Democratic governors, endorses Kamala Harris

    July 22, 2024
  • Elon Musk outlines ‘super obvious’ changes DOGE and Treasury have agreed to make

    February 9, 2025

Recent Posts

  • ‘Corruptly influencing the courts’: Climate justice group that trains federal judges under scrutiny

    August 15, 2024
  • First Solar stock outlook: How a Trump presidency and Inflation Reduction Act will shape its future

    July 24, 2024
  • Trump-district Democrat warns party ‘in trouble’ ahead of 2026 midterms

    March 24, 2025

Editor’s Pick

  • Trump must dump ‘One China’ policy and recognize ‘free’ Taiwan, House Republicans say

    February 6, 2025
  • DOJ launching grand jury investigation into Russiagate conspiracy allegations: sources

    August 4, 2025
  • Veteran Biden insider Anita Dunn to appear in House Oversight autopen probe

    August 7, 2025
  • About us
  • Contacts
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms & Conditions

Disclaimer: moneyrisetoday.com, its managers, its employees, and assigns (collectively “The Company”) do not make any guarantee or warranty about what is advertised above. Information provided by this website is for research purposes only and should not be considered as personalized financial advice. The Company is not affiliated with, nor does it receive compensation from, any specific security. The Company is not registered or licensed by any governing body in any jurisdiction to give investing advice or provide investment recommendation. Any investments recommended here should be taken into consideration only after consulting with your investment advisor and after reviewing the prospectus or financial statements of the company.

Copyright © 2025 moneyrisetoday.com | All Rights Reserved

Money Rise Today – Investing and Stock News
  • Economy
  • Editor’s Pick
Money Rise Today – Investing and Stock News
  • Investing
  • Stock