Targets, munitions and aircraft: What comprised Trump's strikes on Iran nuclear sites
In a series of escalatory moves in the war between Israel and Iran, the United States on Saturday joined the conflict, striking three Iranian nuclear facilities and military sites. US President Donald Trump called the strikes 'very successful'.(AFP)
US President Donald Trump called the strikes 'very successful', while adding that all planes used for the attack were safely returning home. The strikes were also confirmed by the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran.
However, Iran confirmed Sunday that there 'no signs of contamination' after the targeted strikes at its nuclear facilities. The country's National Nuclear Safety System Center said that no radioactive release had been detected by radiation detectors, the Iranian state media reported.
The conflict escalated after Israel's strikes on Iran on June 13 under 'Operation Rising Lion'. What were the targets?
The US struck three nuclear targets in Iran, namely the Natanz, Fordo or Fordow, and Isfahan enrichment facilities.
The Natanz enrichment facility, which is located about 220 km southeast of Tehran, has already been a target of Israeli strikes earlier. It is Iran's primary nuclear facility, with Uranium being enriched to up to 60 per cent on the site, bringing it to a mildly radioactive level, but below the weapons grade, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency.
The UN nuclear watchdog said that most of the centrifuges working underground in Iran's Central Plateau as part of the Natanz enrichment facility were destroyed in earlier Israeli strikes. These were working to quicken the uranium enrichment process.
The second target was Iran's Fordow enrichment facility, located southwest of Tehran, which Trump said was struck with a 'full payload of bombs'. The site, like Natanz, has centrifuge cascades. After the strikes on Iran, Trump reshared a post, put up by a news and open source intelligence monitoring portal, which said, 'Fordow is gone'.
The nuclear facility at Isfahan, southeast of Tehran, was also targeted. The site also has three Chinese research reactors and laboratories. What were the munitions used?
The US used the GBU-57 series Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) – a 30,000 pound bunker-buster bomb – to strike Fordow nuclear facility, according to AFP news agency.
Reports said six bunker buster bombs were used on Iran's Fordow research site.
The 30,000-pound MOP represents the largest non-nuclear bomb in the US arsenal, specifically engineered to pierce through hardened underground bunkers. It
With Fordow being buried under a mountain and protected with anti-aircraft batteries, it appears to have been designed to withstand any airstrikes. According to military experts quoted by AP, bunker-buster bombs, which travel deep below a surface before exploding, could have penetrated the facility. The latest GBU-57 A/B Massive Ordnance Penetrator bomb in the US arsenal has been designed to strike any deeply buried bunkers or tunnels. What was the aircraft deployed?
The only aircraft which has been configured and programmed to deliver the GBU-57 is America's B-2 Spirit. The aircraft is a long-range stealth bomber capable of carrying two bunker-busting bombs.
The B-2 stealth bomber aircraft have the capacity to fly 6,000 nautical miles (9,600 kilometers) without the need to refuel. According to the US military, the aircraft can 'penetrate an enemy's most sophisticated defenses and threaten its most valued, and heavily defended, targets.' The B-2 Spirit first flew in 1988, with the planes being delivered five years later.
Before the strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities, US media and specialist flight tracking sites had reported that multiple B-2s had left from their base in Missouri in central United States. What did Trump say after the strikes?
US President Trump issued a warning after the strikes on the Iranian nuclear sites, saying "there will either be peace or there will be tragedy for Iran'.
'We have completed our very successful attack on the three Nuclear sites in Iran, including Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan," he said in a post on Truth Social. He said that all American planes were safely out of the Iranian airspace, and a 'full payload of bombs' was dropped at Fordo enrichment facility.
'This is an HISTORIC MOMENT FOR THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, ISRAEL, AND THE WORLD. IRAN MUST NOW AGREE TO END THIS WAR. THANK YOU!' Trump said in another post.
In a televised address, Trump said that Iran's key nuclear sites had been 'completely and totally obliterated'.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
31 minutes ago
- Time of India
US urges China to dissuade Iran from closing Strait of Hormuz
Live Events (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Sunday called on China to encourage Iran to not shut down the Strait of Hormuz after Washington carried out strikes on Iranian nuclear comments on Fox News' "Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartiromo" show came after Iran's Press TV reported that the Iranian parliament approved a measure to close the Strait of Hormuz, through which around 20% of global oil and gas flows."I encourage the Chinese government in Beijing to call them about that, because they heavily depend on the Straits of Hormuz for their oil," said Rubio, who also serves as national security adviser."If they do that, it will be another terrible mistake. It's economic suicide for them if they do it. And we retain options to deal with that, but other countries should be looking at that as well. It would hurt other countries' economies a lot worse than ours."Rubio said a move to close the strait would be a massive escalation that would merit a response from the U.S. and Chinese embassy in Washington did not immediately provide comment.U.S. officials said it "obliterated" Iran's main nuclear sites using 14 bunker-buster bombs, more than two dozen Tomahawk missiles and over 125 military aircraft. The strikes mark an escalation in the ongoing Middle Eastern conflict Tehran has vowed to defend itself. Rubio on Sunday warned against retaliation, saying such an action would be "the worst mistake they've ever made."He added that the U.S. is prepared to talk with Iran.
Hindustan Times
35 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
US cities beef up security after Trump launched airstrikes on Iran
Major US cities are tightening security after President Donald Trump unleashed airstrikes on Iran, a direct military intervention that's deepened Washington's role in Israel's war with Tehran and raised concerns about potential retaliation. In Los Angeles, mayor Karen Bass said that officials in the second largest US city are closely monitoring the situation.(AFP/ representational) Iran early Sunday warned that the US attack, dubbed 'Operation Midnight Hammer' by the Pentagon, will trigger 'everlasting consequences' and said it 'reserves all options' to respond. Police in New York, Washington, DC, and Los Angeles have since increased patrols at religious institutions, diplomatic facilities and public spaces. Officials cited no credible threats at this time but highlighted the need for vigilance. In the capital, the Metropolitan Police Department said it's closely monitoring the events in Iran and is coordinating with local, state, and federal law enforcement partners to share information and monitor intelligence. The New York Police Department said it's deployed additional officers across the city and is coordinating with the US Department of Homeland Security and other federal agencies to monitor for any potential threats. Additional resources have been allocated to religious, cultural, and diplomatic sites across the city. The Greater New York area is home to the largest Jewish population outside of Israel, with about 1.4 million people. Since 2001, the NYPD and its federal partners have disrupted about 30 plots targeting the city, the department said. Officials said those efforts reflect a broad strategy that combines intelligence gathering, overseas partnerships and rapid response capabilities — tools they're now using to assess any fallout from the US strikes on Iran. The department's Intelligence Bureau operates an international liaison program with embedded personnel in 13 countries, including in Israel, where an officer is providing real-time assessments from the region. The NYPD also maintains a Sensitive Compartmented Information Facility, where meetings can take place without fear of listening devices. Three DHS intelligence analysts are assigned to the department, facilitating the flow of classified information and supporting joint threat analyses. Additional capabilities include a foreign linguist program with more than 1,200 registered speakers across 85 languages, and the Domain Awareness System, a real-time surveillance and analytics platform developed in partnership with Microsoft. In Los Angeles, Mayor Karen Bass said that officials in the second largest US city are closely monitoring the situation. 'Out of an abundance of caution, LAPD is stepping up patrols near places of worship, community gathering spaces and other sensitive sites,' Bass said. 'We will remain vigilant.'
Hindustan Times
35 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
‘Trump pushed US into another war': Putin aide calls strikes on Iran nuclear sites a failure
Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has launched a scathing attack on the United States over its airstrikes on Iranian nuclear sites, alleging that the strikes failed to inflict any meaningful damage on Iran's nuclear infrastructure. Russian Security Council Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev criticised U.S. strikes on Iran, claiming they caused little damage to its nuclear infrastructure.(AP File) He claimed the attacks have instead strengthened the Iranian regime and drawn Washington deeper into a broader Middle East conflict. Follow live updates on the Iran-Israel conflict here In a series of posts on X, Medvedev listed the consequences of the US strikes on Iran's nuclear sites. He said some countries might now be willing to give Iran nuclear weapons. 'Critical infrastructure of the nuclear fuel cycle appears to have been unaffected or sustained only minor damage. The enrichment of nuclear material — and, now we can say it outright, the future production of nuclear weapons — will continue. A number of countries are ready to directly supply Iran with their own nuclear warheads,' wrote Dmitry Medvedev. 'Israel is under attack, explosions are rocking the country, and people are panicking. The US is now entangled in a new conflict, with prospects of a ground operation looming on the horizon,' he added. Read: Bombers flew undetected for 18 hours: How US launched airstrikes on Iran's nuclear sites He criticised Donald Trump for dragging the US into another war, said global opinion is largely against the US and Israel, and mocked Trump's chances of ever winning a Nobel Peace Prize. 'Even stronger now': Medvedev says US strikes failed to weaken Iran regime 'Iran's political regime has survived — and in all likelihood, has come out even stronger. The people are rallying around the country's spiritual leadership, including those who were previously indifferent or opposed to it. Donald Trump, once hailed as 'president of peace,' has now pushed the US into another war,' said Medvedev. Read more: How US military's decoy B-2 Bomber mission helped it achieve stealth before Iran strikes 'The vast majority of countries around the world oppose the actions of Israel and the United States. At this rate, Trump can forget about the Nobel Peace Prize — not even with how rigged it has become. What a way to kick things off, Mr. President. Congratulations!' Dmitry Medvedev mentioned.
