The report claims that the U.S. dropped bombs into ventilation shafts to destroy Iran’s underground nuclear facilities in Fordow. According to the New York Times, satellite images taken the day after an airstrike, on the 22nd (local time), by Maxar Technologies show six holes, believed to be made by GBU-57 bunker-buster bombs, grouped in two sets of three. These holes, crater-like in appearance, were located where ventilation structures were previously spotted, according to images from 2009.
On the 22nd, the U.S. reportedly used six of seven B-2 bombers to attack Fordow with a total of 12 GBU-57 bombs. While debris was visible around the large building complex in Fordow, support buildings remained intact. Structures from 2011, which were potentially ventilation shafts, are no longer visible, suggesting they might have been used during construction but later covered with soil as experts speculate.
Joseph Rogers, a nuclear expert at the U.S. Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), suggested that the U.S. targeted areas around what are believed to be ventilation shafts, suspecting these as structural vulnerabilities. Scott Roecker, vice president of the Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI), stated that these ventilation shafts might be the most vulnerable points of the facility.
This implies that the U.S. possibly aimed to neutralize the nuclear facility by destroying uranium enrichment structures underground. Photographs after the airstrike show tunnel entrances to the underground facility covered with soil, which experts believe was an Iranian move to protect against the airstrike.
During the three days leading up to the airstrike, unusual activity was reported near the tunnel entrances. For instance, on the 19th, 16 cargo trucks were seen at the entrance, and by the next day, new mounds of earth had appeared. The U.S. and Israel are currently assessing the extent of the damage to the Fordow nuclear facility.
Despite President Donald Trump’s declaration that the nuclear facility was “completely and utterly wiped out,” U.S. and Israeli forces are cautiously evaluating the situation. CNN reports, based on satellite images of Isfahan, another targeted nuclear facility, that at least 18 structures were destroyed or damaged. Joint Chiefs Chairman Dan Kane confirmed they fired over 24 Tomahawk cruise missiles at Isfahan’s key ground facilities. Satellite images of the Natanz nuclear facility revealed two depressions, likely caused by bunker-buster bombs, with underground facilities located directly beneath these spots, as reported by CNN. Natanz is believed to house centrifuges for enriching uranium to weapons-grade level.