Operation Iran a flop: Trump's boastful Tehran strike may have completely missed the mark despite precision
The United States' attack on Iran was a striking display of
US military power
, but in reality, they may have missed the most crucial target, according to a report. What was hailed by US president Donald Trump and his aides as a decisive blow to Iran's nuclear ambitions now appears far less effective than initially claimed, as per a Slate report.
Operation Iran: Powerful Strike, Uncertain Impact
While, the US operation relied heavily on seven B-2 stealth bombers that dropped massive bunker-busting bombs on Iran's
Fordo uranium enrichment
facility, which is almost 300 feet deep inside a mountain, according to the report. Even satellite images showed that the bombs struck their target, even breaking through ventilation shafts, as per a Slate report. But experts now doubt whether the bombs penetrated deep enough to completely destroy the underground nuclear site in Iran, according to the report.
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Iran's Uranium Possibly Moved Before US Attack
Adding to the uncertainty, Israeli officials suggested that Iran may have anticipated the strike and moved much of its enriched uranium before the United States military even attacked it, as per the Slate report. Before the attack, satellite images reportedly showed that 16 cargo trucks were visible at Fordo, raising the possibility that Iran was evacuating its nuclear material, as per reported by Slate.
The director of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Mariano Grossi, revealed that there was a possibility that the Iranian trucks might have been removing the uranium from Fordo, as per the Slate report. While, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Dan Caine, pointed out that the goal of the attack was to 'severely degrade' Iran's nuclear capability and that it was 'way too early to comment' on how much damage the bombs had inflicted, as reported by Slate.
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Mystery Over Uranium's Location
According to the Slate report, officials have also now admitted that the exact location of the uranium is not yet known, and it is also unclear how Israeli or US forces have planned to find the highly enriched uranium.
Iranian Retaliation on US and Escalation Risk
After the US strike, Iran also launched several missile attacks on the United States air base in Qatar, which is the largest American military facility in the Middle East, reported Slate. This has led to speculation that Trump has the potential to launch another attack on Iran, which will deepen the United States' involvement in the ongoing war between Israel and Iran, according to the report.
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Mixed Messages From Trump Administration on Goals and Retaliation
While, US vice president JD Vance and secretary of defense Pete Hegseth had tried to protect against a large-scale retaliation, as they said that this had been a one-off measure, and pointed out that the US president wanted to bring the war to a swift end, and that the only goal of the attack was preventing Iran's nuclear ambitions, not 'regime change,' as reported by Slate.
However, Trump posted a different message on his social media site Truth Social, as he said, "It's not politically correct to use the term, 'Regime Change,' but if the current Iranian Regime is unable to MAKE IRAN GREAT AGAIN, why wouldn't there be a Regime change??? MIGA!!!," as quoted in the report.
FAQs
Did the US attack destroy Iran's nuclear program?
It's unclear. While bombs hit the target, experts doubt they destroyed the underground facility fully, and Iran may have moved much of the highly enriched uranium before the US strike on the Middle Eastern country.
Why do officials think Iran moved its uranium?
Satellite images showed trucks at the site just before the strike, suggesting Iran could have evacuated the highly enriched uranium, as per the report.
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