In a high-risk military operation early Sunday, the United States launched coordinated airstrikes on three of Iran's most fortified nuclear sites -- Fordo, Natanz, and Isfahan -- marking a decisive escalation in the ongoing Israel-Iran conflict.
The strikes, carried out using B-2 stealth bombers, were ordered by US President Donald Trump and focused on destroying Iran's deeply buried nuclear infrastructure.
According to US officials, the Fordo facility -- dug deep into a mountain and previously untouched by Israel's week-long offensive -- was specifically targeted with 14 GBU-57 A/B Massive Ordnance Penetrator bombs.
These so-called 'bunker busters' are 30,000-pound precision-guided weapons capable of drilling through nearly 200 feet of reinforced rock and soil before detonating, and are uniquely capable of damaging hardened underground sites.
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and Air Force General Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, confirmed in a press briefing that all three nuclear targets sustained 'extremely severe' damage.
General Caine described the mission as an 'incredible and overwhelming success', while Hegseth emphasised that the operation was designed to avoid civilian and troop casualties.
The strikes were executed using deception tactics and met no resistance from Iranian air defences.
General Caine confirmed that all three sites suffered 'extremely severe' damage, with final assessments pending.
The US maintains that the objective was strictly to dismantle Iran's nuclear capability, which had raised international concern following reports of highly enriched uranium production at Fordo.
Initial radiation assessments from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) indicate no off-site radiation leaks.
However, with the US now directly involved in the conflict and Iran vowing to continue its nuclear programme, the region faces heightened instability -- and a potential economic shock, particularly if Iran retaliates by closing the vital Strait of Hormuz, through which India imports a significant portion of its oil.
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