How Donald Trump hammered Iran's nuke bases with bunker buster bombs and missiles fired from submarines
DONALD Trump has blitzed Iran's nuclear bases to stop the Ayatollah's doomsday project in a complex operation from air and sea.
The president has declared the strike a
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Donald Trump in the Situation Room during the strike
Credit: Reuters
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Tomahawk missiles fired from submarines were used to strike two bases (stock image)
Credit: AFP
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The B-2A Spirit was used to carry the bunker busting bombs
Credit: Getty
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To do that, Trump used some of the US military's most advanced weapons.
Six 30,000lb bunker busting bombs - officially called the GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) - were used to hit the most difficult target, Trump told Fox News.
They were dropped from B-2 bombers flying high in the atmosphere for 37 hours all the way from Missouri, the
The lethal bombers even refuelled several times in the air so they didn't have to land.
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B-2 bombers were the only weapon which could do the job - because the Ayatollah's prized
Israel has been unable to destroy the site by itself - with Trump declaring on Saturday that only America could destroy it from above.
Now, Trump claims he has done so - with six bunker busters able to bury deep through the rock and hit the base.
The missiles - 20ft long and carrying a 5,000lb warhead - were dropped by the B-2s, hit the earth, and buried themselves deep into the rock before they exploded.
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Iran claims that it knew the attack was coming and evacuated anything of value from the base.
But two other of Iran's nuclear facilities were also hit - Natanz and Isfahan.
How Trump COULD destroy Iran's prize nuclear bunker
They were blitzed by 30 Tomahawk missiles fired from submarines 400miles away.
Tomahawk missiles are a long-range weapon which can be fired from land or sea and can travel at least 1,000miles.
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The US keeps a naval base across the Persian Gulf from Iran in Bahrain.
The complex at Natanz holds Iran's largest uranium enrichment plant - crucial for getting the material to weapons grade.
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A US submarine - capable of carrying up to 154 Tomahawk missiles
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Isfahan nuclear power plant
Credit: AFP
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One B-2 also dropped two bunker busters on Natanz, according to the New York Times.
Isfahan is thought to hold a repository of near bomb-grade nuclear material.
Both Natanz and Isfahan had previously been hit by Israel.
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The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Rafael Grossi, previously said Iran's biggest atomic plant at Natanz was knocked out by the first waves of the Israeli offensive.
Mr Grossi said: "The above-ground part of the pilot fuel enrichment plant, where Iran was producing uranium enriched up to 60% U-235, has been destroyed".
Uranium-235 is essential both for
nuclear power
stations and also for
nuclear weapons
.
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Trump addressing the nation revealed America had 'obliterated' Fordow
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Posting on Truth Social, President Donald Trump announced that US bombers targeted Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan enrichment sites.
The bombings come just two days after Trump said he would decide "within two weeks" whether to join key ally Israel in attacking Iran.
In a nationally televised speech at the White House, Trump said: "Tonight I can report to the world that the strikes were a spectacular military success. Iran's key nuclear enrichment facilities have been completely and totally obliterated.
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'Iran, the bully of the Middle East, must now make peace. If they do not, future attacks will be far greater and a lot easier.
"There will be either peace or there will be tragedy for Iran far greater than we have witnessed over the last eight days."
Iran's Nuclear Sites
Arak plant
- satellite pictures of this plant near the Iranian town of Arak surfaced over 20 years ago.
It contains a heavy-water reactor with plutonium that can be used for nuclear bombs.
Bushehr nuclear power station
- this power plant is a combination of Russian and German engineering.
It's nuclear reactor is operating at 100% power and the site is home to enriched uranium, used for nuclear bombs.
Gachin uranium mine
- home to uranium ore concentrate, or yellowcake, which can be transformed into enriched uranium ready for nuke bomb assembling.
Isfahan conversion plant
- yellowcake is converted here into three dangerous substances.
Hexafluoride gase used in the enrichment process, uranium oxide used to fuel reactors and metal used in the cores of nuclear bombs.
Natanz uranium enrichment plant
- this is Iran's largest enrichment base.
It's made up of three underground buildings and is closely watched by the international community.
Parchin military site
- south of Tehran, this site is focused on research and the production of ammo, rockets and explosives.
Concerns have been raised that it is also used as part of Iran's nuclear weapon development.
Qom uranium enrichment plant
- a heavily fortified and initially secret facility where Iran carries out uranium enrichment.
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