Iranian Nuclear Sites: President Donald Trump announced on Saturday that the U.S. military had struck three nuclear-related facilities in Iran, marking a dramatic escalation in the ongoing conflict and a direct American effort to dismantle Tehran’s infrastructure. In his statement, Trump said, “We have successfully attacked the three nuclear sites in Iran, including Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan. All aircraft are currently outside Iran’s airspace. The main location, Fordow, received a full payload of bombs. Every jet is returning home safely.”

The strikes, carried out amid rising regional tensions, represent the largest direct U.S. military action on Iranian soil in years. U.S. and Israeli officials confirmed that American stealth aircraft executed the operation. The military used GBU-57 bunker-buster bombs, designed to penetrate fortified underground sites, to target Iran’s deeply buried facilities.

1. Natanz Enrichment Facility:

Natanz, Iran’s primary uranium enrichment facility and a central part of its nuclear program, stands about 135 miles southeast of Tehran. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reported that Iran had enriched uranium there to 60% purity before Saturday’s strike, just one step short of weapons-grade.

Earlier Israeli bombings had already damaged much of the facility’s aboveground infrastructure. However, other sections remain buried in fortified underground zones designed to withstand aerial assaults. The IAEA stated that earlier Israeli strikes likely destroyed several centrifuge cascades stored within the complex. In the past, cyberattacks like the Stuxnet virus and other sabotage missions have repeatedly targeted the Natanz plant. To protect its newer nuclear assets from future airstrikes, Iran has reportedly started digging deeper tunnels beneath Kūh-e Kolang Gaz Lā, also known as Pickax Mountain.

2. Fordow Enrichment Facility

Iran built the Fordow complex, one of its most heavily fortified nuclear facilities, beneath a mountain roughly 60 miles southwest of Tehran. Although smaller than Natanz, Fordow poses a major concern for Israeli and Western officials because it houses advanced centrifuges and can withstand airstrikes.

Iran began constructing the site secretly in 2007 and only acknowledged its existence in 2009 after Western intelligence agencies exposed it. The U.S. military can target such deeply buried facilities using its 30,000-pound GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator, a bunker-buster bomb capable of reaching fortified underground structures. Only the U.S. Air Force’s B-2 Spirit stealth bomber can carry the GBU-57, making American involvement in such operations essential. Because of its depth and design, Fordow has remained a potential flashpoint in the nuclear standoff. It stands as a symbol of Iran’s ability to continue enriching uranium, even under the threat of military strikes.

Also Read: What Happens After Nuclear Bomb? Long-Term Effects Explained

3. Isfahan Nuclear Technology Centre

The Isfahan site, located about 215 miles southeast of Tehran, hosts Chinese-built research reactors, laboratories, and uranium processing facilities. Thousands of Iranian scientists work at the facility, which plays a critical role in the country’s broader nuclear program. Israeli forces previously targeted the uranium conversion complex at Isfahan, but Saturday’s operation marked a more extensive assault. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reported that it found no signs of radioactive leakage following the latest strikes.

Other Iran’s Nuclear Network:

1. Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant: Iran operates its only commercial reactor on the Persian Gulf using Russian-supplied uranium.

2. Arak Heavy Water Reactor: This uses a design capable of producing weapons-grade plutonium. However, under the 2015 nuclear deal, officials partially modified it to reduce the risk of proliferation.

3. Tehran Research Reactor:  The US originally supplied this reactor in 1967 under the ‘Atoms for Peace’ programme. Today, it runs on low-enriched uranium.

Also Read: What is the US 60-metre penetrating bunker buster bomb?

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