In a recent assessment by American intelligence agencies, it has been revealed that the U.S. airstrikes against Iran’s nuclear enrichment facility at Fordo inflicted severe damage, potentially crippling the site. The report indicates that the 12 precision-guided bombs dropped by U.S. Air Force B-2 bombers last month may have compromised the integrity of one of Iran’s most fortified and technologically advanced nuclear facilities.
While two other nuclear sites were also targeted, they reportedly did not suffer as extensive damage as Fordo. However, critical components necessary for the development of nuclear weapons were destroyed, with U.S. officials estimating that rebuilding these capabilities could take years. An Israeli official commented that, despite the destruction, Iran likely retains a stockpile of near-bomb-grade enriched uranium, which could theoretically lead to the creation of multiple nuclear weapons. However, without the requisite facilities to process the fuel, this stockpile might remain largely ineffective amidst the rubble of Fordo.
This new intelligence sheds light on the effectiveness of the coordinated strikes by U.S. and Israeli forces. Fordo, deemed by Iranian authorities as their premier nuclear enrichment site, now faces considerable setbacks that could delay its capability to produce nuclear fuel significantly. Current estimates suggest that Iran still possesses uranium enriched to 60 percent purity, a critical marker just shy of the threshold commonly associated with nuclear weaponization. Nonetheless, the debris from the airstrikes has likely buried much of this material, with access limited primarily to a facility at Isfahan, which reportedly escaped the worst of the attacks.
The vital question of how the American strikes have impacted Iran’s nuclear program remains a subject of ongoing debate within U.S. government circles, particularly regarding their long-term effects on Iran’s ability to develop weapons of mass destruction.
