Inside Fordow, the heart of Iran's nuclear programme that's hidden deep inside a mountain

The escalating tensions between Iran and Israel has put a spotlight on Tehran's nuclear facilities, namely the Fordow nuclear plant, which the Jewish nation wants to destroy. However, this is easier said than done. This facility is buried deep underground, making it almost indestructible to any Israeli weapon read more
Last Friday (June 13), when Israel launched a surprise attack on Iran, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the Islamic Republic's nuclear weapons and existing ballistic missiles were the primary targets of the operation. The goal was to end the 'existential threat' Israel faces from Iran.
And in this quest, the Jewish nation has been targeting multiple nuclear facilities in Iran, barring one — the Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant, which is located about 100 miles south of Tehran near the city of Qom. In fact, Fordow is one of the two nuclear enrichment sites in the country. The other, in Natanz , has been reportedly partially destroyed in the ongoing conflict.
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Many Iran watchers note that Fordow is a symbol of the country's defiance as well as its technological ingenuity. As Behnam Ben Taleblu, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, a US think-tank told the Financial Times, 'Fordow is the be-all and end-all of Iran's nuclear operation.'
But what makes Fordow such a critical site? Why does Israel seek to disable Fordow? And why is that almost mission impossible for the Jewish nation?
What is Iran's Fordow plant?
Located close to the holy city of Qom, the Fordow plant is a fortress built deep within the mountains — up to 300 feet underground. Its existence was first made public known in 2009. The location was originally part of a missile base controlled by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
In fact, when the finding of Fordow was made public, Iran earned a rare rebuke from Russia as well as a warning from China — both considered allies of Tehran.
According to Iranian documents stolen by Israeli intelligence, the main halls at Fordow are an estimated 80 to 90 metres (around 262 to 295 feet) beneath the ground — making it safe and almost unreachable to any weapon possessed by Israel.
Today, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Fordow houses 2,700 centrifuges and has been enriching uranium to 60 per cent — a technical step away from the 90 per cent needed for nuclear weapons.
According to the ISIS think tank, 'Iran can convert its current stock of 60 per cent enriched uranium into 233 kg of weapon-grade uranium in three weeks at the Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant,' enough for nine nuclear weapons.
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Many analysts note that Fordow is Iran's symbol of its nuclear ambitions. As Brett McGurk, who has served as Middle East coordinator for several American presidents, was quoted as telling New York Times, 'If you don't get Fordow, you haven't eliminated their ability to produce weapons-grade material.'
What makes Fordow so impenetrable?
Hidden deep inside a mountain helps keep Fordow away from Israeli weapons. Believed to be between 80 and 300 feet underground, Fordow is well beyond the reach of conventional bombs and munitions.
'The Iranians fully understood that the Israelis would try to get inside their programmes and they built Fordow inside of a mountain a long time ago to take care of the post-Iraq problem' presented by the 1981 strike, Vali Nasr, an Iran expert who is a professor at Johns Hopkins University, told the New York Times.
The Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant in central Iran. Fordow is a highly secretive and heavily guarded facility first made public in 2009. Reuters
Moreover, Fordow is protected by surface-to-air missiles, including Russia's S-300 system, and has been reinforced to survive sustained bombardment.
'Tehran has made sure the facility can survive airstrike attacks, making Fordow a much harder target than the other facilities that have been hit through the years,' said Nicholas Carl, a research manager at the American Enterprise Institute's Critical Threats Project, as per the NY Post.
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In fact, a March report from the UK-based Royal United Services Institute (Rusi) think tank noted that destroying Fordow from the air would be almost impossible for Israel and would require significant firepower and assistance from the United States.
What Israel needs to destroy Fordow?
Israeli officials have said that the destruction of Fordow is vital to stopping Iran's nuclear ambitions. 'The entire operation… really has to be completed with the elimination of Fordow,' Israeli Ambassador to the US Yechiel Leiter said.
But this is easier said than done. This is because Israel doesn't have the weaponry to attack deep into the earth; only the US is in possession of such weaponry — the GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator , which can only be dropped using a large aircraft, the B-2 stealth bombers, a US-made plane.
The GBU-57, or the Massive Ordnance Penetrator bomb, at Whiteman Air Base in Missouri. This is the only weapon that could take out the Fordow nuclear plant. File image/AP
Also known as a bunker-busting bomb, the GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator is 20 feet long and 30,000 pounds heavy. The warhead case is made from a special high performance steel alloy and its design allows for a large explosive payload while maintaining the integrity of the penetrator case during impact. It also possesses the ability to penetrate as deep as 61 metres into the ground.
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But a report by Rusi notes that even the GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator would not be enough. The report reads, 'Even the GBU-57/B would likely require multiple impacts at the same aiming point to have a good chance of penetrating the facility.'
However, some analysts believe that there are other ways to destroy Fordow. CNN military analyst Cedric Leighton, a former US Air Force colonel, said, 'Israel could probably destroy the tunnel entrances pretty far back, and certainly destroy the ventilation system,' he said. 'If you destroyed (the tunnels) and the electric electrical supply, it would be months before they could really operate.'
It seems as of now the Fordow conundrum remains for Israel — the nuclear mountain will continue to haunt the Jewish nation.
With inputs from agencies

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