US attack 'not the end of the war but the start'
An international relations expert says America's attack will result in retaliation from Iran and is likely to motivate Iran to build a nuclear weapon in the future.
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ABC News
44 minutes ago
- ABC News
B-2 stealth bombers have hit three Iranian nuclear sites. This is what we know about the aircraft
The US has struck Iran's three nuclear sites, Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan, amid an ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran. US President Donald Trump has confirmed that B-2 stealth bombers were involved in the attack. A US official later confirmed bunker-buster bombs were dropped on the Fordow and Natanz sites, The New York Times has reported. Shortly after the strike, Mr Trump has threatened further attacks against Iran if the nation does not surrender, adding, "Remember, there are many targets left". So, what is a B-2 stealth bomber, and the bunker-buster weapon it used to attack the Iranian facilities? The US B-2 bombers, touted as the most expensive military aircraft ever built, cost about $US2.1 billion ($3.24 billion) each. Made by Northrop Grumman Corporation, B-2 bombers are the only aircraft capable of carrying a bomb large enough to impact Iran's primary and most protected Fordow nuclear facility, which has been built deep into a mountain. The B-2's range is about 6,000 nautical miles (9,600 kilometres), according to the US Air Force. With aerial refuelling, the bomber, with low observability, can reach virtually any target worldwide. The aircraft can carry a diverse array of conventional and nuclear weapons. The bombers can host a crew of two — a pilot in the left seat and a mission commander in the right — the Air Force said on its website. Only 21 B-2s were made after the Pentagon's planned acquisition program was truncated, according to Reuters. They are considered one of America's most advanced strategic weapons platforms, capable of entering sophisticated air defences and delivering precision strikes against targets like Fordow. The B-2's stealth technology incorporates radar-absorbing materials and angular design features that minimise detection by enemy air defence systems, according to Reuters. The bomber's radar cross-section is reportedly comparable to that of a small bird, making it nearly invisible to conventional radar. The B-2's composite materials, special coatings, and wing design all contribute to its "stealthiness", the US Air Force added. B-2 bombers operate out of a US Air Force base in Missouri. The B-2 internal weapons bay is reportedly specifically designed to maintain stealth characteristics while accommodating large ordnance loads, which could include two GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrators (MOP). The MOP is a 30,000-pound precision-guided bomb, sometimes referred to as a "bunker-buster bomb". As ABC News has reported, the MOP is the only conventional weapon thought capable of breaching and destroying the Fordow nuclear site. It weighs more than 13 tonnes, stands six metres high, and is specifically designed to "defeat hard and deeply buried targets" like bunkers and tunnels, according to a fact sheet from a US Department of Defense agency. "While each B-2 can carry two GBU-57/Bs, such an attack would require redundancy since the weapons would have to function and be delivered perfectly to get down into the facility, and explode at the right depth to cause critical damage," Justin Bronk, an air power specialist at the Royal United Services Institute, told ABC NEWS Verify. It's believed that the MOP can reach depths of up to 60 metres before exploding. Inside Iran's Fordow nuclear bunker experts say only US weapons can destroy ABC/Reuters
Sky News AU
an hour ago
- Sky News AU
Penny Wong calling for Iran to be handed a ‘propaganda victory'
Sky News host James Morrow claims Foreign Minister Penny Wong has succumbed to relativist thinking regarding the Israel-Iran conflict. Ms Wong initially called for de-escalation and diplomacy in the Middle East – saying it is what the world 'wants to see'. 'What she is really calling for is for Iran to be handed a great big win and a propaganda victory,' Mr Morrow said.
ABC News
an hour ago
- ABC News
Australian government calls for de-escalation of war in Iran as Coalition endorses US strikes
The Australian government has offered no endorsement of the United States' strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, instead issuing a statement reiterating calls for de-escalation as the opposition put forward its support for the military action. Donald Trump announced the United States had dropped "a full payload of bombs" on the Fordow nuclear site on Sunday, along with strikes on two other locations, declaring Iran's nuclear enrichment facilities "completely and totally obliterated". In response, a government spokesperson said: "We have been clear that Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile program has been a threat to international peace and security. "We note the US president's statement that now is the time for peace. The security situation in the region is highly volatile. We continue to call for de-escalation, dialogue, and diplomacy." A short time after the government released its statement, Opposition Leader Sussan Ley and acting Shadow Foreign Minister Andrew Hastie said the Coalition supported Mr Trump's "proactive action" to bomb the facilities, more than a week after Israel launched an attack on Iran. "The world can never accept a nuclear-armed Iranian regime, and today the United States military has taken proactive action to ensure that we never need to," they said in a statement. "While Australians will never seek conflict in the world, we can never forget that the Iranian regime is a militantly theocratic autocracy … It is the Iranian people who are the victims of this brutal regime and we stand in solidarity with them." Current and former Liberal politicians were also quick to offer their strong support for the strikes, calling on the government to do the same. Former prime minister Scott Morrison said Mr Trump was left with no other option given the risks of Iran's nuclear program, while Liberal Senator Dave Sharma told Sky News it was "essential that Australia supports what the United States has done". Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is yet to respond to the developments personally. Earlier on Sunday, before Mr Trump announced the strikes, Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles said the government's position was de-escalation while noting it recognised Israel's right to defend itself and the risk of Iran's nuclear program. "We are worried about the prospect for escalation here, and we have been urging de-escalation, dialogue, and diplomacy, and we continue to do that," he told Sky News. In an address to the nation late on Saturday night, local time, Mr Trump described the action as a "spectacular military success", while a spokesperson for Iran's nuclear organisation told state media the Fordow site experienced limited damage. The extent of the damage is yet to be independently assessed. Mr Trump later posted to Truth Social — a social media platform — that any Iranian retaliation on the United States would be "met with a force far greater than what was witnessed tonight". Early on Sunday, Mr Hastie, who is also a veteran, warned that any escalation of the war was "dangerous and risky" and could bring unintended consequences. Speaking to ABC's Insiders minutes before Mr Trump announced the attack, he said: "We could see regime change, a collapse of the Iranian regime, large-scale migration and refugees across the world, but particularly Europe. We don't know who would fill the power vacuum." "If there is one lesson I take out of Iraq, Afghanistan, and Libya, it's be careful what you wish for." He also said there needed to be greater transparency over how the United States uses Australian military bases, calling on the government to be clear about what the military alliance involves. Mr Marles this week did not say whether American forces could make use of Australian military bases in the north in an action against Iran, stating "we have a system of full knowledge and concurrence" of operations from Australia. "We need greater transparency, to talk about operationalising the alliance, building guard rails for combat operations and defining our sovereignty," Mr Hastie said. "This will make things clearer for us, so we can better preserve our national interests." Greens leader Larissa Waters said in a statement that the government "must not allow the use of Australian US military bases like Pine Gap in this conflict". "Australia must always work for peace and de-escalation. Australia is not powerless, and we cannot be involved in another brutal war in the Middle East," she said. "Only when countries like Australia push back and hold to principles and international law and back them up with material actions, will there be a chance for peace."
