Browns turn gray: Entries, mountains at Fordow nuclear site damaged- satellite images show
Entries to the Fordow nuclear site in Iran and the mountains under which it is buried suffered significant damage following targeted US strikes on Sunday, according to the satellite images provided by Planet Labs PBC.
A close comparison with earlier satellite imagery indicates that previously brown mountain slopes have turned gray, with altered contours, likely the result of powerful explosions, as per an analysis by the Associated Press. The visual evidence strongly points to the deployment of specialized American 'bunker buster' bombs, capable of penetrating fortified underground targets.
Left- Before the attack; right- after the attack
Light gray smoke lingering in the air further supports the conclusion that a high-impact military strike took place.
Despite the clear signs of damage, Iranian authorities have yet to release an official assessment or acknowledge the extent of the impact on the Fordow facility.
The Fordow site, deeply embedded within a mountain to shield it from attacks, appears to have sustained direct hits powerful enough to seal its entryways. Experts suggest that such sealing would render the facility inaccessible without extensive excavation, a task that could significantly hinder any activities within.
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US claims Iran's nuclear sites 'fully obliterated'
US President Donald Trump, in his address to the nation post strikes on Iran, claimed that the nuclear sites in the Islamic nation had been "completely and fully obliterated".
The Atomic Energy Organization of Iran acknowledged that its facilities at Fordow, Isfahan, and Natanz were targeted in the attacks, but maintained that its nuclear program would continue uninterrupted. Both Iran and the UN nuclear watchdog reported no immediate indications of radioactive contamination at any of the three sites after the strikes.
How US helped Israel target Iran's nuclear sites
The US played a critical role in helping Israel target Iran's nuclear sites by providing advanced military capabilities that Israel alone did not possess. While Iran insists its nuclear program is peaceful and US intelligence has found no active pursuit of a bomb, both Trump and Israeli leaders believed Iran could rapidly develop a nuclear weapon, posing an urgent threat.
Following a sustained Israeli air campaign that weakened Iran's air defenses and damaged some nuclear infrastructure, the US stepped in with direct military involvement.
Key to this operation were American B-2 stealth bombers and the 30,000-pound 'bunker buster' bombs—munitions specifically designed to penetrate fortified underground facilities like those at Fordow and Natanz, which only the US is equipped to deploy.
According to the States and Israeli officials, these unique capabilities provided the best chance of destroying Iran's deeply buried nuclear assets. Trump, reportedly influenced by Israeli officials and Republican lawmakers, concluded that the timing was ideal—Israel's preliminary strikes had "softened the ground," creating a rare window to significantly, and perhaps permanently, cripple Iran's nuclear ambitions.
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