Latest news with #BunkerBuster
Yahoo
29-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Key parts of Iran's nuclear program still intact, says Pentagon report disputed by Trump
WASHINGTON — The core components of Iran's nuclear program appear to remain intact after the June 21 U.S. attack, according to a U.S. official who has been briefed on the Defense Intelligence Agency's initial assessment. President Donald Trump and members of his administration have stated that Iran's nuclear program had been 'obliterated' in the airstrikes and have cast doubt on the report's conclusions. The report was based on intercepted communications and other intelligence sources in the 96 hours after the U.S. attack spearheaded by U.S. Air Force B-2 bombers dropping the world's most potent conventional weapon – the 30,000-pound, bunker-busting GBU-57. The U.S. attack, which included submarine-launched cruise missiles, caused extensive damage to infrastructure on the surface, according to the source who discussed the report's findings on condition of anonymity. Less certain is the amount of damage that was done Iran's deeply-buried nuclear facilities. But intelligence sources indicate that some of the Iranian nuclear program's core components – its centrifuges and enriched uranium – remain intact, the report found. The attack set back Iran's quest to create a nuclear weapon anywhere from six to 12 months, the source said. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, in a statement, dismissed the contention that Iran's nuclear program as politically motivated. 'Based on everything we have seen — and I've seen it all — our bombing campaign obliterated Iran's ability to create nuclear weapons," Hegseth said. "Our massive bombs hit exactly the right spot at each target — and worked perfectly. The impact of those bombs is buried under a mountain of rubble in Iran; so anyone who says the bombs were not devastating is just trying to undermine the president and the successful mission.' CNN first reported findings of the Pentagon intelligence agency's report. The bombs hit two key Iranian nuclear facilities – Fordow and Natanz – on June 21. A third facility, Isfahan, was struck by Tomahawk missiles fired from a U.S. Navy submarine, Air Force Gen. Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told reporters the next morning. An assessment of the damage would take some time, he said. Trump dug in on his dismissal of the assessment's findings in his comments at a NATO summit in the Netherlands on June 25, comparing the impact of the strikes to the atomic bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in World War II. "It's destroyed," he said of Iran's nuclear program. Hegseth has said there was "low confidence" in the assessment, which was produced by the Pentagon's intelligence agency. But the official briefed on the report said only portions of the report were labeled low confidence. More: War of words? Trump hints at changing name of Defense Department "If you want to make an assessment of what happened at Fordow, you better get a big shovel and go really deep, because Iran's nuclear program is obliterated," he said. Some researchers and experts have disputed the intelligence assessment's conclusions that Iran's nuclear program is mostly intact. David Albright, president and founder of the Institute for Science and International Security, said in a social media post the DIA report is "hard to believe." Fordow "is likely severely damaged or destroyed" and Natanz "is likely destroyed and knocked out of operation" following the U.S. strikes, according to a report from the institute. At Isfahan, the main uranium conversion facility was "severely damaged" and tunnel entrances were collapsed, the report found. Trump also brushed aside concerns voiced by nuclear officials and experts over whether Iran was able to move its nuclear equipment beforehand and what happened to the enriched uranium stored in tunnels deep underground. "We think we hit them so hard and so fast, they didn't get to move," he said. Israel's military said on June 23 it had bombed routes to the Fordow facility to prevent Iran from removing any material. Trump has taken a victory lap over a ceasefire between Israel and Iran that put an end to 12 days of traded aerial strikes between the two countries. "We think it's over," he said at the NATO summit. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Key parts of Iran's nuclear program still intact: Pentagon assessment
The Independent
26-06-2025
- Politics
- The Independent
Watch as Pentagon gives bunker bomb demonstration
The Pentagon released a demonstration video showing how Bunker Buster bombs work, following their use on three nuclear facilities in Iran. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine presented the video, illustrating the bomb's ability to penetrate the earth before exploding without creating an impact crater. The US struck Iran's Fordo, Natanz, and Isfahan nuclear facilities on Sunday. The International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed on Thursday that centrifuges at the Fordo site are now non-operational. Watch the video in full above.
The Independent
26-06-2025
- General
- The Independent
Rare demonstration of how the Bunker Buster bombs dropped by the US on Iran work
The Pentagon has released a demonstration of how the Bunker Buster bombs, which were used on three nuclear facilities in Iran, work. On Wednesday (25 June), Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine showed the media a video of a test run of the explosive. In the clip, the bomb can be seen penetrating the earth before exploding, with various angles of the impact being captured. Mr Caine explained that unlike other bombs, there is no impact crater as the munition is 'designed to deeply bury and then function'. The US struck three nuclear facilities in Iran - Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan - on Sunday (22 June). Centrifuges at the Fordo site are now 'no longer operational', the International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed on Thursday (26 June).
Daily Mirror
25-06-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mirror
Iran accused of 'hiding nuclear weapon ingredients' as Trump's ceasefire remains
The ceasefire deal between Israel and Iran hangs in the balance only hours after it was announced by President Trump - and an expert warned Iran may be hiding 'thousands of nuclear bomb supplies' Only two hours after President Trump had announced a ceasefire had been struck between Israel and Iran - peace was hanging in the balance. Israel accused Iran of sending missiles - something it denied - and launched counterstrikes, despite the US President urging them not to act. "Do not drop those bombs. If you do it is a major violation. Bring your pilots home, now," Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform, before unleashing a sweary rant about the two countries to reporters. When asked about reports Iran had broken the ceasefire and Israel's response, Trump said, "I'm not sure they did it intentionally. They couldn't reign people back. I don't like the fact that Israel went out this morning, and I'm going to see if I can stop it. As soon as I get away from you, I'm going to see if I can stop it." He added: "We have two countries that have fought for so long and so hard that they don't know what the f*** they're doing." Since then, the ceasefire seems to be tentatively holding. The US waded into the conflict with its own strikes against three of Iran's nuclear facilities: Natanz, Isfahan, and Fordo. Using 125 US aircraft and so-called 'Bunker Buster' bombs, the attack is said by Trump to have done significant damage to Iran's nuclear capabilities, with the President calling them "obliterated'. However, a recently leaked intelligence report from the Pentagon's Defense Intelligence Agency has claimed that the strikes have not done anywhere near as much damage as Trump claimed and only set Iran back a few months from developing a nuclear weapon. An expert speaking to The Telegraph echoed these sentiments, claiming that it is likely Iran had far more supplies to create nuclear weapons hidden away. "I'm sure they have a hidden place somewhere with some hundreds, if not thousands of centrifuge[s] and they have material all there in several places all over Iran,' said Sara Shine, who previously worked within the Israeli military for three decades, and is reported to be an expert on Iran's nuclear programme. She added: 'They cannot do anything now, tomorrow, but in the future, they have all the capabilities [to build a bomb]". Whilst she didn't doubt the US strikes - dubbed Operation Midnight - did serious damage to the three targeted facilities, she believes that further caches will likely exist. "The [known] sites in themselves, for the time being, are not a lot of threat", the former research director for Mossad was quoted as saying. "The problem is, as you know, the material and the advanced centrifuges that I'm sure they have somewhere". However, another source said that whilst it was likely the expert was right that further enriched uranium is kept in other places by Iran, the facilities to further enrich it to weapons-grade, or indeed build a weapon had been "significantly damaged". Iran responded to the US strikes with what has been called a carefully choreographed attack on a US military base in Qatar. Advanced warning was given of the strike, and there were no injuries - with some experts claiming that the restrained measure allowed Iran to save face, but also provided an "off-ramp" for de-escalation.
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First Post
22-06-2025
- General
- First Post
B-2 bombers that struck Iran took off from Whiteman Air Force Base. Here's what we know about the facility
Whiteman Air Force Base is integral to the US nuclear triad, offering a credible and resilient nuclear deterrent designed to influence adversaries' decision-making read more The GBU-57, or the Massive Ordnance Penetrator bomb, at Whiteman Air Base in Missouri. This is the only weapon that could take out the Fordow nuclear plant. File image/AP When the United States sought to hit Iran's most secure nuclear enrichment site at Fordow, it went with the most obvious choice of Bunker Buster bombs that can only be carried by the B-2 Bombers. These stealth bombers are only housed at one facility in the US– the Whiteman Air Force Base. Here's a look at what we know about the base. Home to 509th Bomb Wing Sixty miles southeast of Kansas City, amid the rolling, wooded hills of west-central Missouri, Whiteman Air Force Base serves as a key military installation with unique strategic significance. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Home to the 509th Bomb Wing, Whiteman is the only base globally that operates and maintains the B-2 Spirit stealth bomber, a centerpiece of the United States Air Force's conventional and nuclear combat force, according to the base's website. The B-2 Spirit bombers operated by the 509th Bomb Wing can deliver both nuclear and conventional munitions, providing unmatched flexibility and reach in strategic bombing and deterrence missions. This dual capability allows the United States to project air power rapidly to virtually any location worldwide, supporting a range of military strategies. Critical to the US nuclear triad Whiteman Air Force Base is integral to the US nuclear triad, offering a credible and resilient nuclear deterrent designed to influence adversaries' decision-making and enhance national security. Bombers based at Whiteman can respond swiftly to threats, making it a crucial component of America's global strike capability. Role in historic missions Throughout its operational history, Whiteman's 509th Bomb Wing has participated in major military engagements, including Operation Allied Force in Kosovo, Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan, and Operation Iraqi Freedom. Each deployment has demonstrated the unit's rapid response capability and global combat reach. The advanced technology and specialised mission at Whiteman Air Force Base position it prominently within the broader context of US national defence strategy, ensuring ongoing readiness for current and emerging global threats.
