Fordo: Iran's nuclear secret that challenges the world

Hidden beneath tons of rock and concrete in the heart of a mountain, the Fordo nuclear plant represents the greatest challenge to any attempt to halt Iran's nuclear program militarily. Built to withstand air attacks, this facility is considered the most heavily protected nuclear site in the country.

According to information published by The New York Times, there is only one weapon capable of penetrating its defenses: a 30,000-pound bunker-buster developed by the United States military. Known as a "bunker buster," this munition can penetrate layers of earth, concrete, and rock before exploding, thanks to its reinforced steel casing and specialized design for destroying underground targets. Its size imposes a key limitation: it can only be carried by the B-2 bomber, the Pentagon's most advanced stealth aircraft.

Israel and its strategic boundaries

The possibility of Israel acting on its own has been a subject of debate for years. Although it has developed clandestine capabilities and carried out similar attacks, such as the one that destroyed a missile site in Syria, Fordo represents a much more complex undertaking. In the absence of a US bunker buster, Israel has considered attacking nearby energy infrastructure that allows the operation of nuclear centrifuges within the complex, in order to disable them without having to directly penetrate it.

In 2023, the International Atomic Energy Agency detected 83.7% enriched uranium at Fordo, alarmingly close to the 90% required to make a nuclear weapon. Although Iran insists its program is peaceful, historical precedents point to a different path: after bombing a nuclear plant in Iraq in 1981, Israel took note that its enemies would strengthen their future facilities. Fordo is a direct result of that lesson.

The weight of the decision and its risks

US officials have indicated that the use of the bunker-buster bomb could have significant international consequences, including the possible release of radioactive material. General Joseph Votel, former commander of the US Central Command, stated that during Donald Trump's presidency, there was a deliberate policy of not sharing this weapon with Israel, to avoid unleashing an all-out war with Iran. "We didn't want them to use it," he acknowledged.

Although the US military has deployed refueling aircraft and tankers for a possible operation in the Middle East, Trump's stance has been closer to non-interventionism, with little interest in new military conflicts in the region. David Deptula, a retired Air Force general, asserted that Israel would still have ways to neutralize Fordo with special forces, even without resorting to the most powerful weapon in the US arsenal.

General Kenneth F. McKenzie Jr., former head of Iran war planning at the Pentagon, summed up the difficulty: “It remains an extremely difficult target.” Although Israel has gained air supremacy over parts of Iranian territory, complete destruction of Fordo remains unlikely without direct US intervention.

The decision to launch an attack of such magnitude would not only be a military risk, but a move with global diplomatic and strategic consequences.