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International Business Times
26-06-2025
- Politics
- International Business Times
Dramatic Footage Released by Pentagon Shows How 3,000-Pound Bunker-Buster Bombs Were Used to Destroy Iran's Fordow Nuclear Site
The Pentagon has released dramatic footage that shows the power of the 30,000-pound heavy-duty bunker-buster bombs used in strikes against Iran, designed to demolish fortified targets deep underground. This came as Iran admitted Wednesday that its nuclear sites suffered massive damage after the bombings. The chilling video captures a GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) crashing into its target, sending up a huge cloud of dust just seconds before a massive fireball erupts through a ventilation shaft at the Fordow uranium enrichment facility. According to the pilots, the explosion was unlike anything they had ever seen, describing it as "the brightest explosion" they had witnessed — saying "it literally looked like daylight." Image of Devastation "Unlike a normal surface bomb, you won't see an impact crater because they're designed to deeply bury and then function," Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Lt. Gen. Dan Caine explained to reporters during a press briefing Thursday. "All six weapons at each vent at Fordow [uranium enrichment plant] went exactly where they were intended to go." During the briefing, another camera angle showed a slow-motion shot of an MOP hitting its target, cutting cleanly through the curved interior of a second ventilation shaft without triggering an explosion. General Caine also presented a third video, showing the MOP smoothly entering what he referred to as the "mission space." "A bomb has three effects that causes damage: blast, fragmentation and overpressure," he explained. "In this case, the primary kill mechanisms in the mission space was a mix of overpressure and blast." The Power of Bunker Busters Bunker Busters are the largest conventional (non-nuclear) bombs in the U.S. military's arsenal. The bomb was necessary because the target — the Fordow uranium enrichment plant — is buried roughly 300 feet deep within a mountain near the city of Qom, about two hours south of Tehran. The bomb, known as the GBU-57A/B Massive Ordnance Penetrator, was developed by Boeing specifically for use by the U.S. Air Force. Due to its massive weight, the bomb can only be deployed by a B-2 Spirit stealth bomber — an advanced aircraft that is not part of Israel's air force arsenal. "The United States controls the bomber and the bomb," John Spencer, chair of urban warfare studies at the Modern War Institute at West Point military academy, recently told The New York Post. The missile cost the U.S. Army more than $500 million to develop and was specifically engineered to burrow deep into the Fordow facility to destroy its nuclear centrifuges, according to a 2013 report by The Wall Street Journal. At the time, the report noted that 20 of these bombs had been produced for the U.S. military. Another variant of a "bunker buster" is the GBU-37, which weighs 5,000 pounds. While the U.S. has provided Israel with less powerful bunker-busting munitions, it has refused to share the Massive Ordnance Penetrator with any allied nation.
Yahoo
26-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
The Latest: Hegseth praises US attack on Iran but offers few details on the strikes' impact
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Gen. Dan Caine held a Thursday morning news conference to respond to an early leaked intelligence report suggesting U.S. strikes against Iran likely put the country back mere months. President Donald Trump has insisted the U.S. strikes delivered a 'devastating' attack and that questioning his assessment of the strike was not only unpatriotic but also makes the pilots who dropped the bombs 'very upset.' Drawing reliable conclusions about the impact of the U.S. strikes is difficult only days after they took place. Here's the latest: US economy shrank 0.5% between January and March, worse than earlier estimates had revealed That's according to the Commerce Department in an unexpected downgrade from its previous estimate and came as President Trump's trade wars disrupted business. First-quarter growth sank under a surge of imports as companies in the United States rushed to bring in foreign goods before Trump could impose tariffs on them. The Commerce Department previously estimated the economy fell 0.2% in the first quarter. Economists had forecast no change in the department's third and final estimate. The January-March drop in gross domestic product — the nation's output of goods and services — reversed a 2.4% increase in the last three months of 2024 and marked the first time in three years that the economy contracted. Imports expanded 37.9%, fastest since 2020, and pushed GDP down by nearly 4.7 percentage points. ▶ Read more about the U.S. economy The Pentagon news conference has ended The Pentagon briefing included a detailed narrative about military tactics and hardware. However, it was short on information about how much the attack setback the Iranian nuclear program. It's unclear how quickly Iran could repair the damage or rebuild its capabilities elsewhere. There have also been questions about whether Iran was able to move its enriched uranium before the U.S. strikes. Hegseth said he didn't think that happened. 'I'm not aware of any intelligence that I've reviewed that says things were not where they were supposed to be — moved or otherwise,' he said. Hegseth targets 'biased leaks to biased publications' Military officials have said it will take time to fully understand the impact of U.S. strikes on Iran, and there was little in the way of new information about their damage. But Hegseth said they decided to hold Thursday morning's news conference because 'there was a great deal of irresponsible reporting' based on a preliminary intelligence assessment. He criticized 'biased leaks to biased publications.' 'If you want to know what's going on at Fordo, you better go there and get a big shovel,' he said. Military official describes Iranian missile attack on US base The top U.S. military official recounted in detail the Iranian missile attacks on a U.S. military base in Qatar. The description from Gen. Dan Caine, the Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman, appeared aimed at shifting the conversation from questions about political leadership and overall strategy to heroic narratives about individual U.S. service members. He said roughly 44 American service members responsible for defending the entire base were present as rounds of Patriot missiles were launched. Caine says Qatar joined in the successful American defense of what he called the largest single Patriot engagement in U.S. military history. Hegseth minimizes intelligence assessment The defense secretary minimized the importance of a preliminary intelligence assessment that concluded U.S. strikes on three Iranian nuclear facilities had damaged but not permanently destroyed them. Hegseth scolded the media for 'breathlessly' focusing on an assessment from the Defense Intelligence Agency even though the DIA is part of the Defense Department. He said the assessment was preliminary and had not been coordinated with other agencies in the intelligence community. He said other intelligence assessments have been more bullish in their assessments on damage of the sites. Trump tunes in The president seems to be monitoring the Pentagon news conference, posting about it on social media. 'Watch it!' he wrote. He also baselessly suggested that media outlets that reported on the intelligence assessment 'will be firing the reporters who made up the FAKE stories.' Trump has been fixated on coverage of the U.S. strikes, which could determine how American voters view his decision to get involved in the latest war in the Middle East. Hegseth berates the media The news conference began with Hegseth, a former Fox News host, criticizing the media for 'hunting for scandals all the time.' He accused reporters of failing to acknowledge 'historic moments' like improved military recruiting and increased spending on European defense by U.S. allies on the continent. He then shifted to attacking the 'fake news' for reporting on a preliminary assessment about the impact of recent U.S. strikes on Iran. Pentagon briefing begins to defend Trump on Iran strikes Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Gen. Dan Caine assembled this morning to push the president's claims that the recent U.S. attack 'obliterated' Iranian nuclear facilities. A preliminary assessment, produced by the Defense Intelligence Agency, said American bombs and missiles caused a setback of only a few months. Trump has rejected this conclusion, lashing out at the news media for reporting on it and marshaling his administration to support his version of events. Turkey's president wants to host peace talks with Russia, Ukraine and the US Recep Tayyip Erdogan made the comments late Wednesday on a flight back from the NATO summit, where he met with Trump. 'Our ultimate goal is to host a leaders-level meeting in our country and to build the peace that we long for,' Erdogan said, according to a transcript of his comments made available on Thursday. He also quoted Trump as expressing willingness to participate in peace talks between Russia and Ukraine in Turkey, if Russian President Vladimir Putin also agrees to attend. Erdogan quoted Trump as saying: 'If Russian President Vladimir Putin comes to Istanbul or Ankara for a solution, I will also come to Istanbul or Ankara.' Russian and Ukrainian delegations, meeting in Istanbul in late May and in June, agreed to swap thousands of dead and seriously wounded troops but made no progress toward ending the 3-year-old war. Despite suggestions of a possible leaders' summit, Putin did not attend the talks, sending a low-level delegation instead.
Mint
22-06-2025
- Politics
- Mint
Iran-Israel War: US strikes against Iran not aimed at regime change: Pentagon chief
Iran-Israel War: US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Sunday that the country's military strikes on Iran's nuclear sites were not meant for regime change plans. The US has sent private messages to Tehran before the strikes, encouraging them to negotiate, Hegseth said. Hegseth also warned Iran against retaliation against the United States, and said US forces were postured to defend themselves, and take action if needed. "This mission was not and has not been about regime change," Hegseth told reporters at the Pentagon. The president authorised a precision operation to neutralise the threats to our national interests posed by the Iranian nuclear program, he said. The United States military struck three sites in Iran on Sunday, marking its official entry into the Israel-Iran war that started about a week ago. President Donald Trump was the first to disclose the strikes. Speaking from the White House after the strikes, President Trump dubbed Iran "the bully of the Middle East" and warned that the Islamic Republic 'must now make peace.' In what has now been called Operation 'Midnight Hammer', the US strikes included 14 bunker-buster bombs, more than two dozen Tomahawk missiles and over 125 military aircraft. Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff US General Dan Cane said at the briefing that initial battle damage assessments indicated that all three sites sustained extremely severe damage and destruction, but he declined to speculate whether any Iranian nuclear capabilities might still be intact. The operation pushes the Middle East to the brink of a major new conflagration in a region already aflame for more than 20 months with wars in Gaza and Lebanon and a toppled regime under President Bashar al-Asad in Syria. Soon after the US strikes, Tehran responded with a volley of missiles at Israel that wounded scores of people and destroyed buildings in its commercial hub Tel Aviv. Iran's Supreme National Security Council is weighing a decision to close the Strait of Hormuz, a vital global energy chokepoint, in response to US military strikes. The move, if approved, would escalate tensions in the region and risk disrupting nearly 20 per cent of the world's oil and gas shipments. The Strait of Hormuz is a strait between the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman. It provides the only sea passage from the Persian Gulf to the open ocean and is one of the world's most strategically important choke points. The Strait serves as the primary export route for Gulf producers such as Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Iraq, and Kuwait. Caine said at the Pentagon briefing that the US military had increased protection of troops in the region, including in Iraq and Syria. This mission was not and has not been about regime change.
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Business Standard
22-06-2025
- Politics
- Business Standard
After Iran strikes, Trump warns of more action if 'peace not achieved soon'
US President Donald Trump has threatened Iran of further military action if peace is not achieved in the region. He made the remarks in his first public statement since the "precision" strikes on three Iranian nuclear facilities--Fordow, Natanz and Esfahan by the US on Saturday (US local time). In his address from the White House, Trump said, "Remember, there are many targets left. Tonight was the most difficult of them all by far and perhaps the most lethal. But if peace does not come quickly, we will go after those other targets with precision, speed and skill." Stating that the other sites can be taken out in "a matter of minutes", Trump praised the military prowess of America in his speech. "Most of them can be taken out in a matter of minutes. There's no military in the world that couldn've done what we did tonight, not even close. There has never been a military that can do what took place just a little while ago." Trump announced that Secretary of Defence, Pete Hegseth and the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Air Force General Dan Caine will hold a press conference on Sunday (US local time) at the Pentagon. Trump thanked the "military minds" involved in the attack." I want to thank the Israeli military for the wonderful job they've done and most importantly I want to congratulate great American patriots who flew those magnificent machines tonight, and all of the United States' military on an operation the likes of which the world has not seen in many, many decades. Hopefully we will no longer need their services in this capacity. I hope that so." Trump's announcement comes just two days after he said that he had opened a two-week window for diplomacy. Hours ahead of his remarks, the US President took to his Truth Social platform to state that the US had bombed the three Iranian nuclear facilities and in his address from the White House on Saturday night (local time), Trump said those facilities "have been completely and totally obliterated" thereby meeting the objective to stop the "nuclear threat". In his concluding remarks, Trump said, "I want to thank everybody and in particular god, I just want to say, we love you god and we love our great military, protect them. God bless the Middle East, god blesses you and God bless America." As per a report in the CNN which cited a US official, the US used six B-2 bombers to drop a dozen "bunker buster" bombs on the Fordow nuclear site. Navy submarines fired 30 TLAM cruise missiles at two other sites, Natanz and Isfahan, and a B2 dropped two bunker busters on Natanz, the official said. The underground site at Fordow and the larger Natanz plant were Iran's two primary uranium enrichment facilities, out of which Natanz had already been hit by Israel with smaller weapons earlier in the week, the New York Times reported. The conflict between Israel and Iran entered its ninth day on Saturday, with the US now joining in support of Israel. The conflict started after Israel, on June 13, launched a massive airstrike on Iranian military and nuclear sites, dubbed "Operation Rising Lion." In response, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) launched a large-scale drone and missile operation, 'Operation True Promise 3', targeting Israeli fighter jet fuel production facilities and energy supply centres.
UPI
12-06-2025
- Politics
- UPI
North Korea appears to stop loudspeaker broadcasts toward the South
North Korea appears to have stopped broadcasting loud noises along border areas with the South, Seoul's Joint Chiefs of Staff said Thursday. The move came one day after South Korea suspended propaganda loudspeaker broadcasts at the DMZ. File Photo by Thomas Maresca/UPI | License Photo SEOUL, June 12 (UPI) -- North Korea appears to have stopped broadcasting loud noises towards the South, Seoul's military said Thursday, one day after South Korea halted its anti-Pyongyang loudspeaker campaign near the demilitarized zone. "Today, there were no areas where North Korea's noise broadcasts to the South were heard," the Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a text message to reporters. The North had been broadcasting bizarre noises such as metallic screeching and animal sounds since last year, as Cold War-style provocations escalated along the inter-Korean border. Newly elected South Korean President Lee Jae-myung has vowed to lower tensions with Pyongyang, and on Wednesday ordered the suspension of the South's propaganda broadcasts of K-pop, news and information across the border. Lee's office said that the move was made "to ease the military standoff between the South and the North and to open the way to restoring mutual trust." It was also meant to "alleviate the suffering of residents in border areas who have suffered due to North Korea's noise broadcasts," spokeswoman Kang Yoo-jung said in a briefing Wednesday. Seoul resumed the propaganda broadcasts roughly one year ago in response to a series of provocations by North Korea that included floating thousands of trash-filled balloons across the border. Lee, who won a snap election on June 3 to replace impeached former President Yoon Suk Yeol, vowed during his campaign to suspend the loudspeaker broadcasts as well as prevent defector groups from floating balloons with anti-Pyongyang leaflets and USB drives over the border. On Thursday, Lee pledged to swiftly restore communication channels with the North. "We will stop wasteful hostilities and resume dialogue and cooperation," he said in a speech marking the 25th anniversary of the first inter-Korean summit between former South Korean President Kim Dae-jung and North Korean leader Kim Jong Il. "We will restore the crisis management system that prevents accidental clashes and avoids heightening tensions," Lee said in the speech, which was read on his behalf by a senior official at a commemorative event in Seoul. "To this end, we will strive to quickly restore the inter-Korean dialogue channels." The two Koreas reestablished a military hotline in 2018 during a period of detente. However, the North stopped answering the daily calls in 2023 as relations soured amid expanded U.S.-South Korea joint military exercises and a hardline stance by former President Yoon.
