Latest news with #B-2Spirit
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Satellite images show American military planes missing from a vulnerable base as the US fortifies its Middle East presence
Dozens of US military aircraft have departed from a key base in the Middle East. The base, Al Udeid in Qatar, could be vulnerable to Iranian strikes. Tehran has threatened retaliation if the US joins Israel's bombing campaign in Iran. New satellite imagery shows dozens of US military aircraft missing from a key Middle Eastern base that could be vulnerable to Iranian strikes if American forces join the conflict with Israel. In a June 5 image, captured by the US commercial satellite imaging company Planet Labs and reviewed by Business Insider, around 40 aircraft of various types can be seen parked on the tarmac at the Al Udeid airbase in Qatar. But only three aircraft could be seen on the tarmac in another image captured on Thursday. The move's purpose is unclear, but the large-scale aircraft departure could be a possible move to protect them from Iranian retaliatory attacks if the US military joins Israel in carrying out offensive strikes against Tehran's nuclear program. Iran's supreme leader has threatened the US, warning it not to intervene in the conflict, which is entering its second week. Al Udeid, America's largest base in the Middle East and located just across the Persian Gulf, could be a prime target for Tehran, along with other nearby military installations. Al Udeid hosts a number of military assets, including the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing's airlift, aerial refueling, and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities. Agence France-Presse first reported the dispersal of US aircraft from Al Udeid. US Central Command, which oversees military operations in the Middle East, did not provide comment. President Donald Trump has hinted in recent days that the US could join Israel's campaign. There has been speculation that such action could involve sending in B-2 Spirit stealth bombers to drop the massive bunker-buster munitions on Iran's hardened Fordow nuclear facility. The 15-ton GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator, or MOP, is one of the most powerful non-nuclear bombs and the largest bunker buster in the US arsenal. It is likely the only conventional munition capable of damaging Fordow, buried deep in the side of a mountain. It is unique to the US, as it can only be carried by the B-2 bomber. "I may do it, I may not do it," Trump told reporters earlier this week of plans to strike Iran. "Nobody knows what I'm going to do." The dispersal of aircraft at Al Udeid, a possible security move, comes amid the larger build-up of US military forces in and around the Middle East, including fighter jets, tanker planes, warships, and even a second aircraft carrier. US Navy destroyers in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea and American ground troops in the Middle East have already been involved in defending Israel from Iranian retaliatory missile attacks that began last Friday after Israeli officials announced the start of a new operation to harm Tehran's nuclear program and began conducting bombing operations. Over the past week, Israeli fighter jets have launched widespread airstrikes on targets across Iran, targeting the country's nuclear facilities, top scientists, senior commanders, missile launchers, air defenses, bases, and other high-profile military assets. Iran has retaliated by launching hundreds of missiles and drones at Israeli cities. Read the original article on Business Insider
Newsweek
4 hours ago
- Politics
- Newsweek
Is Donald Trump Considering Tactical Nukes Against Iran? What We Know
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. The Trump administration has not taken anything "off the table," including the use of tactical nuclear weapons, if it decides to take military action against the underground Iranian nuclear facility at Fordow, Fox News reported, citing a White House official. It followed a report in The Guardian that the president "is not considering using a tactical nuclear weapon on Fordow." The Pentagon declined comment to Newsweek, instead referring to a statement by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who said on June 16 that he had directed "the deployment of additional capabilities" to the Middle East. "Protecting U.S. forces is our top priority and these developments are intended to enhance our defensive posture in the region," Hegseth said. President Donald Trump speaks to the press in the Oval Office of the White House on June 18, 2025 (left) and a retired U.S. B61 thermonuclear gravity bomb, a type of tactical nuclear weapon still... President Donald Trump speaks to the press in the Oval Office of the White House on June 18, 2025 (left) and a retired U.S. B61 thermonuclear gravity bomb, a type of tactical nuclear weapon still in service, shown in 2021. More BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP/Jon G. Fuller/GETTY/AP Why It Matters No nuclear weapon has been deployed in war since the U.S. dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan in 1945, and any use of such weapons against an Iranian facility would be extremely controversial in the U.S. and worldwide. On Thursday, the White House said Trump would decide "within the next two weeks" whether the U.S. will join Israeli military action that began on June 13 against Iranian nuclear sites. Israel claims that Iran is working toward building a nuclear weapon, while Tehran insists its nuclear program is entirely peaceful. What To Know One of Iran's most important nuclear sites is the Fordow nuclear enrichment facility, which is believed to be buried about 80 meters deep into the side of a mountain. Experts have suggested Israel doesn't have any conventional bombs capable of destroying the site, though on Thursday Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that "we have the capability" to "hit all of their nuclear facilities." Unlike Israel, the U.S. possesses 30,000-pound GBU-57s "bunker buster" bombs that are specifically designed to reach targets buried deep beneath the surface and can be deployed by B-2 Spirit heavy bombers. On Wednesday, citing people "familiar with the deliberations," The Guardian reported that Trump "does not appear to be fully convinced" that GBU-57s bombs can reach the Fordow facility. It said the effectiveness of GBU-57s against the Fordow facility was "a topic of deep contention" within the Pentagon, citing two defense officials, with some reportedly believing that only a tactical nuclear weapon could destroy the site. It added that Trump was "not considering" the option and said it hadn't been presented by Hegseth or Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General Dan Caine. Tactical nuclear weapons are smaller than strategic nuclear weapons and are designed to be deployed for limited strikes or on the battlefield, rather than against whole cities. The U.S. maintains a large arsenal of tactical nuclear weapons, though none have ever been used in combat. Fox News senior White House correspondent Jacqui Heinrich said she was told by a White House official that The Guardian report was "false." According to Heinrich, the official "has no doubt about the efficacy of bunker busters in eliminating the site at Fordow" adding they also denied "that any options [including tactical nukes] have been taken off the table." Israel has been attacking Iranian military and nuclear sites since June 13. On Thursday, the Washington-based group Human Rights Activists said that at least 639 people had been killed in the attacks, though the figures have not been independently verified. In response, Iran has fired ballistic missiles at Israel, killing 24 civilians, according to Israeli authorities. On Friday the British, French and German foreign ministers were slated to meet their Iranian counterpart in Geneva, Switzerland, in a bid to resolve the conflict. U.K. Foreign Secretary David Lammy said that "a window now exists within the next two weeks to achieve a diplomatic solution." What People Are Saying Fox News senior White House correspondent Jacqui Heinrich: "There have been a lot of headlines this afternoon including one from The Guardian that claims that the U.S. military has doubts about whether the 'bunker-buster' bombs could get the job done, further claiming only a tactical nuke maybe could finish it and it further stated that the president is not considering a tactical nuke, that it was not one of the options presented to him. "I was just told by a top official here that none of that report is true, that none of the options are off the table and the U.S. military is very confident 'bunker busters' could get the job done at Fordow." Fox News host Jesse Watters, on Thursday: "The Guardian reported Trump was getting cold feet worried about the effectiveness of 'bunker busters' and not willing to use tactical nukes. But the White House tells Fox that's not true, everything's on the table, even tactical nukes." Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, on Friday, referring to possible U.S. tactical nuke deployment, according to Russia's TASS news agency: "This would be a catastrophic there are so many speculations that, in fact, it's impossible to comment on them." What Happens Next It is not yet known whether the U.S. will launch strikes against Iran and, if so, what weaponry it will use. Deploying a tactical nuclear bomb, the first use of a nuclear weapon since World War II, would be a controversial move.
Business Insider
4 hours ago
- Politics
- Business Insider
Satellite images show American military planes missing from a vulnerable base as the US fortifies its Middle East presence
Dozens of US military aircraft have departed from a key base in the Middle East. The base, Al Udeid in Qatar, could be vulnerable to Iranian strikes. Tehran has threatened retaliation if the US joins Israel's bombing campaign in Iran. New satellite imagery shows dozens of US military aircraft missing from a key Middle Eastern base that could be vulnerable to Iranian strikes if American forces join the conflict with Israel. In a June 5 image, captured by the US commercial satellite imaging company Planet Labs and reviewed by Business Insider, around 40 aircraft of various types can be seen parked on the tarmac at the Al Udeid airbase in Qatar. But only three aircraft could be seen on the tarmac in another image captured on Thursday. The move's purpose is unclear, but the large-scale aircraft departure could be a possible move to protect them from Iranian retaliatory attacks if the US military joins Israel in carrying out offensive strikes against Tehran's nuclear program. Iran's supreme leader has threatened the US, warning it not to intervene in the conflict, which is entering its second week. Al Udeid, America's largest base in the Middle East and located just across the Persian Gulf, could be a prime target for Tehran, along with other nearby military installations. Al Udeid hosts a number of military assets, including the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing's airlift, aerial refueling, and intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance capabilities. Agence France-Presse first reported the dispersal of US aircraft from Al Udeid. US Central Command, which oversees military operations in the Middle East, did not provide comment. President Donald Trump has hinted in recent days that the US could join Israel's campaign. There has been speculation that such action could involve sending in B-2 Spirit stealth bombers to drop the massive bunker-buster munitions on Iran's hardened Fordow nuclear facility. The 15-ton GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator, or MOP, is one of the most powerful non-nuclear bombs and the largest bunker buster in the US arsenal. It is likely the only conventional munition capable of damaging Fordow, buried deep in the side of a mountain. It is unique to the US, as it can only be carried by the B-2 bomber. "I may do it, I may not do it," Trump told reporters earlier this week of plans to strike Iran. "Nobody knows what I'm going to do." The dispersal of aircraft at Al Udeid, a possible security move, comes amid the larger build-up of US military forces in and around the Middle East, including fighter jets, tanker planes, warships, and even a second aircraft carrier. US Navy destroyers in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea and American ground troops in the Middle East have already been involved in defending Israel from Iranian retaliatory missile attacks that began last Friday after Israeli officials announced the start of a new operation to harm Tehran's nuclear program and began conducting bombing operations. Over the past week, Israeli fighter jets have launched widespread airstrikes on targets across Iran, targeting the country's nuclear facilities, top scientists, senior commanders, missile launchers, air defenses, bases, and other high-profile military assets. Iran has retaliated by launching hundreds of missiles and drones at Israeli cities.
Indian Express
4 hours ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
What is Fordo, the underground nuclear site that only a US bomb can destroy
As the conflict between Iran and Israel enters its eighth day, all eyes are on the Islamic Republic's underground uranium enrichment site in Fordow – housing its most advanced centrifuges – and whether the US would get directly involved to destroy it. With about 2,000 operational centrifuges, the enrichment facility produces uranium enriched to 60 per cent — a step away from weapons-grade 90 per cent enrichment. What sets this site apart, located roughly 95 km southwest of the capital, Tehran, from the other facilities damaged in Israel's barrage on June 13 is that it is built to the side of a mountain and is approximately 260 to 300 feet underground, making it impervious to air strikes. Several sites sustained major damage in the Israeli barrage on June 12 and the following days; however, Fordow remains intact. Experts suggest that regular air strikes can cause damage to the surface, making it temporarily inoperable, but to damage the cascades of centrifuges and the stockpile of uranium housed in the facility, Israel would require the direct involvement of the US, which possesses the warhead to destroy it – the GBU-57 A/B Massive Ordnance Penetrator, a 'bunker buster' weighing 30,000 pounds, that is capable of penetrating 200 feet of earth or concrete before detonating. Moreover, the US possesses the delivery system capable of deploying the round – the B-2 Spirit stealth bomber. Construction at the Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant began in the second half of 2007, according to Tehran, and it became operational in 2009—the same year Western intelligence disclosed the site's presence to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), leading Iran to publicly acknowledge it. The Washington Post reported that UN inspections in 2012 revealed the presence of tunnels with thick walls and blast-proof doors, with some bunkers protected by 300 feet of rock. Under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), signed in 2015 during the Obama administration, Iran agreed to suspend enrichment at Fordow and repurpose the site into a research facility. However, following the fallout between Tehran and Washington in 2018, owing to the Trump administration withdrawing the US from the agreement and slapping sanctions on the Islamic regime over its ballistic missile programme, uranium enrichment activities resumed at the site. Tehran has maintained that the programme is intended for peaceful purposes. A Reuters report said that 166.6 kg of uranium enriched to up to 60 per cent was produced in the most recent quarter, which, if enriched further, could be used to produce about four nuclear weapons, according to an IAEA yardstick. However, the UN nuclear watchdog's Director General, Rafael Grossi, told Sky News on Thursday that they could not affirm that Iran is building a nuclear weapon. On the same day, Israel hit the Khondab Heavy Water Research Reactor, which was under construction. After the IAEA Board of Governors declared that Iran breached the provisions of its nuclear safeguards agreement in a vote, Tehran said that it will pursue its programme and build another facility with more advanced centrifuges. The IAEA also published a report stating that Iran conducted 'secret nuclear activities' at three locations – in direct contravention of the provisions of the JCPOA, which could invite sanctions from European stakeholders of the agreement. Hours after the IAEA's announcement, Israel, which has been sceptical of Tehran's nuclear ambitions, launched strikes against its nuclear and military infrastructure last week under the umbrella of Operation Rising Lion, targeting facilities and killing key figures of its military and nuclear programme. As of Friday (June 20), the Fordow nuclear facility stands unscathed, becoming the sole determinant of US involvement. According to an Al Jazeera report, the site is protected by Iranian and Russian surface-to-air missile systems, though some of those defences may have been hit in recent Israeli strikes, clearing the way for the B-2. If the US abstains from attacking, Israeli ground forces may get involved, protracting the conflict. The Wall Street Journal reported that the US has approved plans to attack Iran but withheld the final order to see if Tehran would abandon its nuclear programme. This mirrors the public stand of the US administration, with US President Donald Trump saying he was waiting for 2 weeks before deciding on attacking Iran. On the other hand, news agency Reuters quoted a senior Iranian official saying that zero enrichment will be rejected, especially after Israeli strikes. He added that the role of European powers is now more prominent, as Tehran is unwilling to engage with Washington amid Israel's campaign. Earlier, Trump, who has been vocal about his support for Israel's campaign against Tehran's nuclear programme, said: 'Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon. It's very simple — you don't have to go too deep into it. They just can't have a nuclear weapon.' He demanded Iran's unconditional surrender, drawing a sharp response from the Islamic Republic's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei who said that 'any US strike will have serious, irreparable consequences' and that Iran 'will not surrender'.
The Irish Sun
11 hours ago
- Politics
- The Irish Sun
Where is the Ayatollah? Madcap ‘Supreme Leader' holed up in lair – but still an ‘easy target' for Trump's bunker busters
IRAN'S supreme leader has scurried away to an underground bunker in a Tehran suburb amid threats to his life, according to reports. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is believed to be cowering away in the secret lair as Israeli missile attacks rain down nearby. Advertisement 9 Smoke rises following what Iran says was an Israeli attack on Sharan Oil depot in Tehran Credit: Reuters 9 Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei speaks to a group of people and officials Credit: AP 9 A fire blazes in the oil depots of Shahran, northwest of Tehran Credit: AFP 9 B-2 Spirit drops a GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) bomb Credit: USAF 9 Two informed sources inside the country told Iran International the country's ageing dictator is It is among the areas in Iran to have been rocked by explosions over the past few days. Khamenei's family are also with him, the sources added, including his son Mojtaba - who is seen as a potential heir to the supreme leader. The Ayatollah also reportedly sought refuge in this bunker during Iranian strikes in April 2024 and October 2024. Advertisement read more on iran It comes as the conflict between Both countries having fired missile barrages at each other over the past week. Israel claims its attacks against Iran are necessary to stop it crafting a nuclear bomb - which Israeli officials claim is an imminent risk. However, this view is disputed by some in the US intelligence world, and Iran insists its nuclear programme is peaceful. Advertisement Most read in The US Sun Donald Trump withdrew from a nuclear deal with Iran and several other countries during his first term in 2018. A diplomatic source told Iran International that Israel could have taken out Khamenei on the first night of its operations. Iran's murderous hospital blitz foiled by Israel at last minute, president reveals But Israel reportedly chose to give him a final chance to abandon Tehran's uranium enrichment programme. Trump will decide whether the US will get directly involved in a war with Iran within the next two weeks, the White House has said. Advertisement In a Truth Social Post, Trump said: "We know exactly where the so-called 'Supreme Leader' is hiding. "He is an easy target , but is safe there – We are not going to take him out (kill!), at least not for now. "But we don't want missiles shot at civilians, or American soldiers. Our patience is wearing thin." The US is currently the only country to wield 30,000lb "bunker buster" bombs that could take out underground targets beyond the reach of conventional munitions. Advertisement 9 Trump pictured in the Oval Office Credit: The Mega Agency 9 These Trump claims he vetoed an Israeli proposal to assassinate Khamenei, according to US officials. Advertisement But one senior Israeli official has put out a strongly worded threat to the Iranian supreme leader. Defence minister Israel Katz said: "Khamenei openly declares that he wants Israel destroyed – he personally gives the order to fire on hospitals. "He considers the destruction of the state of Israel to be a goal. Such a man can no longer be allowed to exist." Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu has said Israel is ready to "remove" the nuclear threat from Iran. Advertisement Israel is itself widely believed to possess nuclear weapons, although the country maintains ambiguity over this. However, other top Israeli figures have taken a more cautious tone on regime change. President Isaac Herzog told Axel Springer Global Reporters: "We don't have a goal on Khamenei, nor do we have a goal on regime change. "But it could be historically a clear side effect of major historical consequences that will do good to the Iranian people." Advertisement Russia, a close international partner of the Iranian regime, has said it would react "very negatively" if Khamenei is killed. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told Sky News that the supreme leader's assassination would "open the Pandora's box". 9 Ayatollah Ali Khamenei speaks in a televised message Credit: Reuters 9 Fire of Israeli attack on Sharan Oil depot is seen following the Israeli strikes on Iran Credit: Reuters Advertisement
