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The United States has carried out a massive and unprecedented military strike on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure in an effort to cripple Tehran’s uranium enrichment capabilities.
Some shit you should know before you read: If you’re unaware, Iran has continuously maintained that its nuclear program is for civilian purposes only, a claim Western intelligence agencies say is bullshit. For civilian purposes, a country would need to enrich uranium to around 3–5% purity for nuclear power, and up to 20% for medical and research applications. However, Iran was enriching uranium to 60% purity, a level that has no credible civilian justification and leaves the country just a short technical step from weapons-grade 90% enrichment.
Getting into it: The strikes, which hit Iran’s key nuclear facilities at Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan, marked one of the most significant US military operations in recent history. Each of these sites plays a critical role in Iran’s nuclear program. Fordow, situated in a mountainous area near Qom, is believed to be one of Iran’s most heavily fortified nuclear installations. It housed over 2,700 centrifuges and was actively enriching uranium at high levels. Natanz, located south of Tehran, served as the main site for uranium processing and featured expansive underground halls built to accommodate massive enrichment operations. Isfahan, a central hub for nuclear research, had several reactors, a uranium conversion plant, and facilities involved in both storage of uranium and the production of centrifuge equipment.
To execute the strikes, the US deployed six B-2 Spirit stealth bombers, each capable of penetrating air defenses undetected. These bombers dropped a total of twelve GBU-57A/B Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) bombs on Fordow (each weighing 30,000 pounds and designed to destroy fortified underground bunkers). In parallel, US Navy submarines launched 30 BGM-109 Tomahawk Land Attack Missiles (TLAMs) at Natanz and Isfahan, with additional MOPs also reportedly dropped on Natanz. Altogether, the US dropped over 180 tons of ordnance.
Iranian authorities confirmed that the strikes caused damage at all three sites. The government condemned the strikes, calling them a “savage assault” and a blatant violation of international law and the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization also vowed to continue its nuclear activities and accused the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) of “complicity” in the strikes.
They also claimed that critical materials like UF6 have yet to be accounted for, and some questioned whether the US bombs were able to reach the deepest tunnels at Isfahan, believed by experts to be even more fortified than Fordow.
In response, hardline voices within Iran have issued warnings. A senior adviser to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei, via the state-aligned Kayhan newspaper, called for missile strikes on US Navy vessels in the region and the closure of the Strait of Hormuz to US, French, Israeli, and UK ships. Meanwhile, regional Iranian allies, including the Houthi rebels in Yemen, have expressed support for retaliation.
This comes as President Trump has warned Iran of further consequences if they retaliate. During his address from the White House, Trump said, “Iran, the bully of the Middle East, must now make peace. If they do not, future attacks will be far greater and a lot easier,” Trump said. He added, “This cannot continue. There will be either peace or there will be tragedy for Iran, far greater than we have witnessed over the last eight days. Remember, there are many targets left.”
