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Nuclear facilities

Israel's Bunker-Buster Bomb: The Road to Dealing with Iran's Nuclear Ambitions

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

Deep within the mountains, the Fordow uranium enrichment plant is a labyrinth of underground tunnels and bunkers, making it nearly impossible for Israel's air force to destroy it. However, with Washington's arsenal of bunker-buster bombs, the U.S. could join Israel in targeting the facility, which is seen as a crucial hub for Iran's nuclear ambitions. Despite Iran's insistence that its enrichment efforts are for peaceful purposes, the U.S. and Israel remain skeptical, with estimates suggesting that Fordow could produce enough uranium for several bombs in as little as two to three days.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Fordow uranium enrichment plant is a highly protected facility, lying 80 to 90 metres underground, making it a challenging target for Israel's air force without the help of the U.S. Air Force and its bunker-buster bombs.
  • Israel's Ambassador to the U.S., Yechiel Leiter, stated that Israel alone cannot eliminate Fordow, requiring the U.S. to make a decision on whether to use its GBU-57 MOP bomb to penetrate the site.
  • The Institute for Science and International Security estimated that Fordow's fuel enrichment effort could produce 25 kilograms of weapons-grade uranium in as little as two to three days.
  • Iran has approximately 400 kg of uranium enriched to 60 per cent purity, which is short of the 90 per cent purity associated with weapons-grade level, according to the IAEA.
  • The U.S. Air Force's GBU-57 MOP bomb, a precision-guided device weighing 13,000 kg, can penetrate about 60 metres of reinforced concrete and may require repeated strikes to eliminate Fordow.
  • Israel has destroyed the above-ground buildings at the Natanz uranium-enrichment site, but the underground area remains operational, according to the IAEA.
  • Iran's enrichment efforts continue, with Western intelligence agencies monitoring developments, despite the U.S. Director of National Intelligence's assessment that Iran is not building a nuclear weapon.

Statistics:

  • Fordow is estimated to be 80 to 90 metres underground.
  • The Institute for Science and International Security estimated Fordow's fuel enrichment effort could produce 25 kilograms of weapons-grade uranium in as little as two to three days.
  • Iran has approximately 400 kg of uranium enriched to 60 per cent purity, according to the IAEA.
  • The U.S. Air Force's GBU-57 MOP bomb weighs 13,000 kg and can penetrate about 60 metres of reinforced concrete.
  • Israel destroyed the above-ground buildings at the Natanz uranium-enrichment site on Friday.
  • The IAEA reported that Iran had 275 kg of uranium enriched to 60 per cent purity at the start of the year.

Sources:

  • Institute for Science and International Security (June 9)
  • Royal United Services Institute (security think tank in London)
  • Jean-François Bélanger, assistant professor at the Royal Danish Defense College
  • Sayed Ghoneim, a retired Egyptian general and chairman of the Institute for Global Security and Defense Affairs in Abu Dhabi
  • Yechiel Leiter, Israel's Ambassador to the U.S.
  • Rafael Grossi, director general of the IAEA
  • ISNA, the semi-official Iranian news site
  • The Institute for Science and International Security (September, 2009)
  • The Globe and Mail (multiple articles)

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