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NDTV
5 hours ago
- Politics
- NDTV
How Israel Is Targetting Key Iranian Nuclear Scientists
Atlanta: At least 14 nuclear scientists are believed to be among those killed in Israel's Operation Rising Lion, launched on June 13, 2025, ostensibly to destroy or degrade Iran's nuclear program and military capabilities. Deliberately targeting scientists in this way aims to disrupt Iran's knowledge base and continuity in nuclear expertise. Among those assassinated were Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi, a theoretical physicist and head of Iran's Islamic Azad University, and Fereydoun Abbasi-Davani, a nuclear engineer who led Iran's Atomic Energy Organization. Collectively, these experts in physics and engineering were potential successors to Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, widely regarded as the architect of the Iranian nuclear program, who was assassinated in a November 2020 attack many blame on Israel. As two political scientists writing a book about state targeting of scientists as a counterproliferation tool, we understand well that nuclear scientists have been targeted since the nuclear age began. We have gathered data on nearly 100 instances of what we call "scientist targeting" from 1944 through 2025. The most recent assassination campaign against Iranian scientists is different from many of the earlier episodes in a few key ways. Israel's recent attack targeted multiple nuclear experts and took place simultaneously with military force to destroy Iran's nuclear facilities, air defenses and energy infrastructure. Also, unlike previous covert operations, Israel immediately claimed responsibility for the assassinations. But our research indicates that targeting scientists may not be effective for counterproliferation. While removing individual expertise may delay nuclear acquisition, targeting alone is unlikely to destroy a program outright and could even increase a country's desire for nuclear weapons. Further, targeting scientists may trigger blowback given concerns regarding legality and morality. A policy with a long history Targeting nuclear scientists began during World War II when Allied and Soviet forces raced to capture Nazi scientists, degrade Adolf Hitler's ability to build a nuclear bomb and use their expertise to advance the US and Soviet nuclear programs. In our data set, we classified "targeting" as cases in which scientists were captured, threatened, injured or killed as nations tried to prevent adversaries from acquiring weapons of mass destruction. Over time, at least four countries have targeted scientists working on nine national nuclear programs. The United States and Israel have allegedly carried out the most attacks on nuclear scientists. But the United Kingdom and Soviet Union have also been behind such attacks. Meanwhile, scientists working for the Egyptian, Iranian and Iraqi nuclear programs have been the most frequent targets since 1950. Since 2007 and prior to the current Israeli operation, 10 scientists involved in the Iranian nuclear program were killed in attacks. Other countries' nationals have also been targeted: In 1980, Mossad, Israel's intelligence service, allegedly bombed Italian engineer Mario Fiorelli's home and his firm, SNIA Techint, as a warning to Europeans involved in the Iraqi nuclear project. Given this history, the fact that Israel attacked Iran's nuclear program is not itself surprising. Indeed, it has been a strategic goal of successive Israeli prime ministers to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, and experts had been warning of the increased likelihood of an Israeli military operation since mid-2024, due to regional dynamics and Iranian nuclear development. By then, the balance of power in the Middle East had changed dramatically. Israel systematically degraded the leadership and infrastructure of Iranian proxies Hamas and Hezbollah. It later destroyed Iranian air defenses around Tehran and near key nuclear installations. The subsequent fall of Syria's Assad regime cost Tehran another long-standing ally. Together, these developments have significantly weakened Iran, leaving it vulnerable to external attack and stripped of its once-feared proxy network, which had been expected to retaliate on its behalf in the event of hostilities. With its proxy "axis of resistance" defanged and conventional military capacity degraded, Iranian leadership may have thought that expanding its enrichment capability was its best bet going forward. And in the months leading up to Israel's recent attack, Iran expanded its nuclear production capacity, moving beyond 60% uranium enrichment, a technical step just short of weapons-grade material. During Donald Trump's first term, the president withdrew the US from a multilateral nonproliferation agreement aimed at curbing Iran's nuclear program. After being reelected, Trump appeared to change tack by pursuing new diplomacy with Iran, but those talks have so far failed to deliver an agreement - and may be put on hold for the foreseeable future amid the war. Most recently, the International Atomic Energy Agency board of governors declared Iran in non-compliance with its nuclear-nonproliferation obligations. In response, Iran announced it was further expanding its enrichment capacity by adding advanced centrifuge technology and a third enrichment site. Even if the international community anticipated the broader attack on Iran, characteristics of the targeting itself are surprising. Historically, states have covertly targeted individual scientists. But the recent multiple-scientist attack occurred openly, with Israel taking responsibility, publicly indicating the attacks' purpose. Further, while it is not new for a country to use multiple counter-proliferation tools against an adversary over time, that Israel is using both preventive military force against infrastructure and targeting scientists at once is atypical. Additionally, such attacks against scientists are historically lower tech and low cost, with death or injury stemming from gunmen, car bombs or accidents. In fact, Abbasi - who was killed in the most recent attacks - survived a 2010 car bombing in Tehran. There are outliers, however, including the Fakhrizadeh assassination, which featured a remotely operated machine gun smuggled into Iranian territory. Israel's logic in going after scientists Why target nuclear scientists? In foreign policy, there are numerous tools available if one state aims to prevent another state from acquiring nuclear weapons. Alongside targeting scientists, there are sanctions, diplomacy, cyberattacks and military force. Targeting scientists may remove critical scientific expertise and impose costs that increase the difficulty of building nuclear weapons. Proponents argue that targeting these experts may undermine a state's efforts, deter it from continuing nuclear developments and signal to others the perils of supporting nuclear proliferation. Countries that target scientists therefore believe that doing so is an effective way to degrade an adversary's nuclear program. Indeed, the Israel Defense Forces described the most recent attacks as "a significant blow to the regime's ability to acquire weapons of mass destruction." Despite Israel's focus on scientists as sources of critical knowledge, there may be thousands more working inside Iran, calling into question the efficacy of targeting them. Further, there are legal, ethical and moral concerns over targeting scientists. Moreover, it is a risky option that may fail to disrupt an enemy nuclear program while sparking public outrage and calls for retaliation. This is especially the case if scientists, often regarded as civilians, are elevated as martyrs. Targeting campaigns may, as a result, reinforce domestic support for a government, which could then redouble efforts toward nuclear development. Regardless of whether targeting scientists is an effective counter-proliferation tool, it has been around since the start of the nuclear age - and will likely persist as part of the foreign policy toolkit for states aiming to prevent proliferation. In the case of the current Israeli conflict with Iran and its targeting of nuclear scientists, we expect the tactic to continue for the duration of the war and beyond. (Author: Jenna Jordan, Associate Professor of International Affairs, Georgia Institute of Technology and Rachel Whitlark, Associate Professor of International Affairs, Georgia Institute of Technology) (Disclaimer Statement: Rachel Whitlark is a nonresident senior fellow in the Forward Defense practice of the Atlantic Council's Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security. Jenna Jordan does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.)
Asia Times
6 hours ago
- Politics
- Asia Times
The Israeli logic of assassinating Iran's nuclear scientists
At least 14 nuclear scientists are believed to be among those killed in Israel's Operation Rising Lion, launched on June 13, 2025, ostensibly to destroy or degrade Iran's nuclear program and military capabilities. Deliberately targeting scientists in this way aims to disrupt Iran's knowledge base and continuity in nuclear expertise. Among those assassinated were Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi, a theoretical physicist and head of Iran's Islamic Azad University, and Fereydoun Abbasi-Davani, a nuclear engineer who led Iran's Atomic Energy Organization. Collectively, these experts in physics and engineering were potential successors to Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, widely regarded as the architect of the Iranian nuclear program, who was assassinated in a November 2020 attack many blame on Israel. As two political scientists writing a book about state targeting of scientists as a counterproliferation tool, we understand well that nuclear scientists have been targeted since the nuclear age began. We have gathered data on nearly 100 instances of what we call 'scientist targeting' from 1944 through 2025. The most recent assassination campaign against Iranian scientists is different from many of the earlier episodes in a few key ways. Israel's recent attack targeted multiple nuclear experts and took place simultaneously with military force to destroy Iran's nuclear facilities, air defenses and energy infrastructure. Also, unlike previous covert operations, Israel immediately claimed responsibility for the assassinations. But our research indicates that targeting scientists may not be effective for counterproliferation. While removing individual expertise may delay nuclear acquisition, targeting alone is unlikely to destroy a program outright and could even increase a country's desire for nuclear weapons. Further, targeting scientists may trigger blowback given concerns regarding legality and morality. Targeting nuclear scientists began during World War II when Allied and Soviet forces raced to capture Nazi scientists, degrade Adolf Hitler's ability to build a nuclear bomb and use their expertise to advance the U.S. and Soviet nuclear programs. In our data set, we classified 'targeting' as cases in which scientists were captured, threatened, injured or killed as nations tried to prevent adversaries from acquiring weapons of mass destruction. Over time, at least four countries have targeted scientists working on nine national nuclear programs. The United States and Israel have allegedly carried out the most attacks on nuclear scientists. But the United Kingdom and Soviet Union have also been behind such attacks. Meanwhile, scientists working for the Egyptian, Iranian and Iraqi nuclear programs have been the most frequent targets since 1950. Since 2007 and prior to the current Israeli operation, 10 scientists involved in the Iranian nuclear program were killed in attacks. Other countries' nationals have also been targeted: In 1980, Mossad, Israel's intelligence service, allegedly bombed Italian engineer Mario Fiorelli's home and his firm, SNIA Techint, as a warning to Europeans involved in the Iraqi nuclear project. Given this history, the fact that Israel attacked Iran's nuclear program is not itself surprising. Indeed, it has been a strategic goal of successive Israeli prime ministers to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons, and experts had been warning of the increased likelihood of an Israeli military operation since mid-2024, due to regional dynamics and Iranian nuclear development. The wrecked cars in which four of Iran's nuclear scientists were assassinated in recent years are displayed on the grounds of a museum in Tehran in 2014. Photo: Scott Peterson / Getty Images via The Conversation By then, the balance of power in the Middle East had changed dramatically. Israel systematically degraded the leadership and infrastructure of Iranian proxies Hamas and Hezbollah. It later destroyed Iranian air defenses around Tehran and near key nuclear installations. The subsequent fall of Syria's Assad regime cost Tehran another long-standing ally. Together, these developments have significantly weakened Iran, leaving it vulnerable to external attack and stripped of its once-feared proxy network, which had been expected to retaliate on its behalf in the event of hostilities. With its proxy 'axis of resistance' defanged and conventional military capacity degraded, Iranian leadership may have thought that expanding its enrichment capability was its best bet going forward. And in the months leading up to Israel's recent attack, Iran expanded its nuclear production capacity, moving beyond 60% uranium enrichment, a technical step just short of weapons-grade material. During Donald Trump's first term, the president withdrew the US from a multilateral nonproliferation agreement aimed at curbing Iran's nuclear program. After being reelected, Trump appeared to change tack by pursuing new diplomacy with Iran, but those talks have so far failed to deliver an agreement and may be put on hold for the foreseeable future amid the war. Most recently, the International Atomic Energy Agency board of governors declared Iran in non-compliance with its nuclear nonproliferation obligations. In response, Iran announced it was further expanding its enrichment capacity by adding advanced centrifuge technology and a third enrichment site. Even if the international community anticipated the broader attack on Iran, characteristics of the targeting itself are surprising. Historically, states have covertly targeted individual scientists. But the recent multiple-scientist attack occurred openly, with Israel taking responsibility, publicly indicating the attacks' purpose. Further, while it is not new for a country to use multiple counter-proliferation tools against an adversary over time, that Israel is using both preventive military force against infrastructure and targeting scientists at once is atypical. Additionally, such attacks against scientists are historically lower tech and low cost, with death or injury stemming from gunmen, car bombs or accidents. In fact, Abbasi – who was killed in the most recent attacks – survived a 2010 car bombing in Tehran. There are outliers, however, including the Fakhrizadeh assassination, which featured a remotely operated machine gun smuggled into Iranian territory. Why target nuclear scientists? In foreign policy, there are numerous tools available if one state aims to prevent another state from acquiring nuclear weapons. Alongside targeting scientists, there are sanctions, diplomacy, cyberattacks and military force. Targeting scientists may remove critical scientific expertise and impose costs that increase the difficulty of building nuclear weapons. Proponents argue that targeting these experts may undermine a state's efforts, deter it from continuing nuclear developments and signal to others the perils of supporting nuclear proliferation. Countries that target scientists, therefore, believe that doing so is an effective way to degrade an adversary's nuclear program. Indeed, the Israel Defense Forces described the most recent attacks as 'a significant blow to the regime's ability to acquire weapons of mass destruction.' Posters featuring images of Iranian nuclear scientists are displayed in Tehran, Iran, on June 14, 2025. Photo: Fatemeh Bahrami/Anadolu via Getty Images / The Conversation Despite Israel's focus on scientists as sources of critical knowledge, there may be thousands more working inside Iran, calling into question the efficacy of targeting them. Further, there are legal, ethical and moral concerns over targeting scientists. Moreover, it is a risky option that may fail to disrupt an enemy nuclear program while sparking public outrage and calls for retaliation. This is especially the case if scientists, often regarded as civilians, are elevated as martyrs. Targeting campaigns may, as a result, reinforce domestic support for a government, which could then redouble efforts toward nuclear development. Regardless of whether targeting scientists is an effective counter-proliferation tool, it has been around since the start of the nuclear age – and will likely persist as part of the foreign policy toolkit for states aiming to prevent proliferation. In the case of the current Israeli conflict with Iran and its targeting of nuclear scientists, we expect the tactic to continue for the duration of the war and beyond. Jenna Jordan is associate professor of international affairs, Georgia Institute of Technology and Rachel Whitlark is associate professor of international affairs, Georgia Institute of Technology This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
Times of Oman
3 days ago
- Politics
- Times of Oman
Our skies were filled with drones, recall Indian students in Tehran
Tehran : As tensions continue to rise in West Asia, Indian students in Tehran recalled the initial hours of the conflict between Israel and Iran. Noting that around 140 Indian students were present at the Tehran University of Medical Sciences on the first day of military action by Israel, the students talked of the support provided by the senior officials of the varsity but also appealed for their evacuation in the wake of uncertainty over the situation amid rising tensions. Students ANI spoke to are pursuing MBBS at the Tehran University of Medical Sciences and the Islamic Azad University and talked about their experience since the military action began. "The condition was getting worse here every minute," one of the students recalled. "On Friday dawn, at around 3:20 am, we heard a blast. It was a huge sound. When we looked out of our windows, there was black smoke and when we went downstairs, we heard more blasts," another student said. "After 2-3 hours, we heard boom of fighter jets. We have been really scared... Our skies were filled with the (Friday) evening to the next day's morning, we heard sounds continuously. There was a complete blackout and were sitting under the dormitory," the student added. The students said that they received support from the university authorities. "Our University (Tehran University of Medical Sciences) has been very helpful. As soon as the blasts happened, our Vice-Dean came to check upon us and calmed us. By the evening our Dean also arrived and assured us that nothing will happen. That was a very dangerous night which we faced. We don't have the heart to spend one more night here," a student said. The students, who come from different parts of India, have been pursuing their education for varied periods of time. The students said they have been in touch with the Indian Embassy and have been assured all support. The students said they want to be evacuated at the earliest. "We trust in India's power and really want to be evacuated," a student said. They recalled the government's efforts to bring back Indian students during Russia-Ukraine conflict. On Sunday, the Embassy of India in Iran issued several helpline numbers and created a Telegram Link for communication with Indian nationals currently in Iran. The Embassy shared details in a series of posts on X, saying that the Telegram link is "ONLY" for Indian nationals in Iran. "We request everyone in Iran to join the below given Telegram Link to receive updates on the situation from the Embassy. Kindly note that this Telegram Link is ONLY for those Indian Nationals who are currently in Iran. Asking the nationals not to give into panic, the Embassy asked people to exercise caution and remain in contact with the Embassy in Tehran. Tensions have been rising between Israel and Iran in West Asia. On June 13, Israel launched a massive airstrike on Iranian military and nuclear sites, dubbed "Operation Rising Lion". Earlier, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Israel has launched Operation Rising Lion, a targeted military operation to roll back the "Iranian threat to Israel's very survival" adding that the mission would continue "for as many days as it takes to remove this threat." In response, Iranian News Agency IRNA said the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC), in response to the Israeli aggression, has launched a large-scale drone and missile operation 'Operation True Promise 3' targeting Israeli fighter jet fuel production facilities and energy supply centres. The strikes were conducted in direct retaliation against Israeli "aggression".
CNN
3 days ago
- Politics
- CNN
Live updates: Israel and Iran trade strikes on fifth day of conflict
Update: Date: 10 min ago Title: Parents in India-administered Kashmir fear for children studying in Iran Content: Parents in India-administered Kashmir whose children are studying in Tehran are desperately trying to bring them home as the conflict between Iran and Israel intensifies. Iran is a popular destination for university students from India, particularly those studying medicine. Many of these students are from India-administered Jammu and Kashmir. Khursheed Ahmad Rather told CNN he has not heard from his daughter, Namoode Saher, a second-year medical student at Tehran's Islamic Azad University, since early Monday. 'No parent would ever put their children in this situation if they had known the environment could be this volatile,' he said. 'We are awake all night till one, two in the morning, watching the news closely.' Suhail Qadri, whose son and daughter are pursuing a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery in Tehran, told CNN his children left the capital and arrived in the city of Qom, about 150 kilometers south, early Monday. 'My children are very brave and resilient,' he said. 'The kids over there are in good spirits but of course, there are tensions.' Qadri said he has intermittently been able to contact his children since the conflict began, but communications have been patchy. 'The logistical challenge of getting them out of Iran is a big one,' Qadri said. Iran's airspace has been closed since Israel's attack began meaning foreign nationals wanting to leave face lengthy journeys through land crossings. The Indian embassy in Iran is attempting to facilitate evacuations for its citizens from the countrys. India's foreign ministry spokesperson, Randhir Jaiswal, said a 24x7 control room has been established. Update: Date: 2 min ago Title: Why Iran's Fordow plant is key to its nuclear program Content: CNN's Nick Paton Walsh explains what we know about the key site in Israel's crosshairs. It's key to Iran's nuclear program: the Fordow plant - in a mountain lair where hundreds of centrifuges, hidden possibly 90 meters underground, enrich uranium to 60%. CNN's Nick Paton Walsh explains what we know about the key site in Israel's crosshairs. #cnn #news #israel #iran #fordow #nuclear Update: Date: 10 min ago Title: Analysis: Does the US have bomb that can destroy Iran's deeply buried nuclear facilities? Experts are cautious Content: Israel's ambassador to the United States says only the US Air Force has the weapon that can destroy Iran's deeply buried nuclear sites. But analysts are cautious that there's no guarantee even that bomb could do the job. The Fordow plant is buried deep in the mountains near Qom, in northern Iran. Its exact depth is not publicly known, but some estimates place it at 80 to 90 meters deep. 'For Fordow to be taken out by a bomb from the sky, the only country in the world that has that bomb is the United States,' Ambassador Yechiel Leiter said. The bomb Leiter is referring to the GBU-57/B – also known as the Massive Ordnance Penetrator. Also known as a 'bunker buster,' it is a 30,000-pound GPS-guided munition with a 5,740-pound high explosive warhead that's so heavy it can only be dropped from the Air Force's B-2 bombers. 'The warhead case is made from a special high performance steel alloy,' enabling it to burrow deeply into the ground and destroy hardened bunkers and tunnels, according to a US military fact sheet. A Royal United Services Institute report said the GBU-57 can penetrate to a depth of 61 meters (200 feet). That would be about 20 meters short of Iran's Fordow facility, according to the report's estimates. 'The GBU-57/B would likely require multiple impacts at the same aiming point to have a good chance of penetrating the facility,' the report said. Other analysts agree, saying, if the US were to try to hit Fordow, it probably couldn't be done with one bomb. 'I would bank on repeated strikes against Fordow,' CNN military analyst Cedric Leighton, a former US Air Force colonel, said. 'Repeated strikes might work, but unsure,' said Peter Layton, a former Royal Australian Air Force officer now a fellow at the Griffith Asia Institute, adding there would be 'no guarantee of success or ability to prove (Fordow) been taken out' if it were hit. Update: Date: 5 min ago Title: Israel and Iran are trading strikes for a fifth day. Here's the latest Content: President Donald Trump has left the G7 summit early after suggesting that he could soon strike a deal with Iran to end the current conflict. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is returning to the US with Trump. The US president also directed members of his team to attempt a meeting with Iranian officials as quickly as possible, according to a person familiar with the matter and a US official. According to French President Emmanuel Macron, Trump has proposed a ceasefire deal. But Trump also warned Iranians to evacuate Tehran, underscoring the danger to its 10 million residents. Here are the latest developments in the conflict: Update: Date: 11 min ago Title: Israel is targeting Iranian nuclear sites. Here's what we know about the damage Content: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he estimates strikes on Iran have set its nuclear program back significantly. 'I estimate we are sending them back a very, very long time,' he said in a news conference Monday. 'We have targets and we're going to do a root canal here.' Israel has targeted three key Iranian nuclear facilities — Natanz, Isfahan and Fordow — and several top scientists involved in nuclear research and development. The extent of the damage is beginning to come into view, with satellite imagery and expert analysis hinting that the strikes had a significant impact on at least two of the locations. But the full extent of the damage remains unclear – not least because Iran's most sensitive nuclear infrastructure is buried deep underground – and each side gave predictably contrasting assessments: An Israeli military official said that strikes on Iran's nuclear sites in Natanz and Isfahan were able to damage the sites 'significantly,' while Iran claimed that damage to the facilities was limited. 'The whole (nuclear) supply chain has been disrupted,' Ali Vaez, the Iran Project Director at the International Crisis Group, told CNN on Sunday, as Israel and Iran continued to exchange fire. Vaez stressed the significance of each targeted nuclear site, which are all involved in the complex sequence of steps required to create a nuclear weapon. 'This chain is now broken, but it could be put back together in a matter of months, because Iran has both the knowhow and the material that is required for it,' he cautioned. 'This is not a problem that will go away simply with aerial strikes.'
CNN
3 days ago
- Politics
- CNN
Live updates: Israel and Iran trade strikes on fifth day of conflict
Update: Date: Title: Parents in India-administered Kashmir fear for children studying in Iran Content: Parents in India-administered Kashmir whose children are studying in Tehran are desperately trying to bring them home as the conflict between Iran and Israel intensifies. Iran is a popular destination for university students from India, particularly those studying medicine. Many of these students are from India-administered Jammu and Kashmir. Khursheed Ahmad Rather told CNN he has not heard from his daughter, Namoode Saher, a second-year medical student at Tehran's Islamic Azad University, since early Monday. 'No parent would ever put their children in this situation if they had known the environment could be this volatile,' he said. 'We are awake all night till one, two in the morning, watching the news closely.' Suhail Qadri, whose son and daughter are pursuing a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery in Tehran, told CNN his children left the capital and arrived in the city of Qom, about 150 kilometers south, early Monday. 'My children are very brave and resilient,' he said. 'The kids over there are in good spirits but of course, there are tensions.' Qadri said he has intermittently been able to contact his children since the conflict began, but communications have been patchy. 'The logistical challenge of getting them out of Iran is a big one,' Qadri said. Iran's airspace has been closed since Israel's attack began meaning foreign nationals wanting to leave face lengthy journeys through land crossings. The Indian embassy in Iran is attempting to facilitate evacuations for its citizens from the countrys. India's foreign ministry spokesperson, Randhir Jaiswal, said a 24x7 control room has been established. Update: Date: Title: What Iran's Fordow plant is key to its nuclear program Content: CNN's Nick Paton Walsh explains what we know about the key site in Israel's crosshairs. It's key to Iran's nuclear program: the Fordow plant - in a mountain lair where hundreds of centrifuges, hidden possibly 90 meters underground, enrich uranium to 60%. CNN's Nick Paton Walsh explains what we know about the key site in Israel's crosshairs. #cnn #news #israel #iran #fordow #nuclear Update: Date: Title: Analysis: Does the US have bomb that can destroy Iran's deeply buried nuclear facilities? Experts are cautious Content: Israel's ambassador to the United States says only the US Air Force has the weapon that can destroy Iran's deeply buried nuclear sites. But analysts are cautious that there's no guarantee even that bomb could do the job. The Fordow plant is buried deep in the mountains near Qom, in northern Iran. Its exact depth is not publicly known, but some estimates place it at 80 to 90 meters deep. 'For Fordow to be taken out by a bomb from the sky, the only country in the world that has that bomb is the United States,' Ambassador Yechiel Leiter said. The bomb Leiter is referring to the GBU-57/B – also known as the Massive Ordnance Penetrator. Also known as a 'bunker buster,' it is a 30,000-pound GPS-guided munition with a 5,740-pound high explosive warhead that's so heavy it can only be dropped from the Air Force's B-2 bombers. 'The warhead case is made from a special high performance steel alloy,' enabling it to burrow deeply into the ground and destroy hardened bunkers and tunnels, according to a US military fact sheet. A Royal United Services Institute report said the GBU-57 can penetrate to a depth of 61 meters (200 feet). That would be about 20 meters short of Iran's Fordow facility, according to the report's estimates. 'The GBU-57/B would likely require multiple impacts at the same aiming point to have a good chance of penetrating the facility,' the report said. Other analysts agree, saying, if the US were to try to hit Fordow, it probably couldn't be done with one bomb. 'I would bank on repeated strikes against Fordow,' CNN military analyst Cedric Leighton, a former US Air Force colonel, said. 'Repeated strikes might work, but unsure,' said Peter Layton, a former Royal Australian Air Force officer now a fellow at the Griffith Asia Institute, adding there would be 'no guarantee of success or ability to prove (Fordow) been taken out' if it were hit. Update: Date: Title: Israel and Iran are trading strikes for a fifth day. Here's the latest Content: President Donald Trump has left the G7 summit early after suggesting that he could soon strike a deal with Iran to end the current conflict. Secretary of State Marco Rubio is returning to the US with Trump. The US president also directed members of his team to attempt a meeting with Iranian officials as quickly as possible, according to a person familiar with the matter and a US official. According to French President Emmanuel Macron, Trump has proposed a ceasefire deal. But Trump also warned Iranians to evacuate Tehran, underscoring the danger to its 10 million residents. Here are the latest developments in the conflict: Update: Date: Title: Israel is targeting Iranian nuclear sites. Here's what we know about the damage Content: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he estimates strikes on Iran have set its nuclear program back significantly. 'I estimate we are sending them back a very, very long time,' he said in a news conference Monday. 'We have targets and we're going to do a root canal here.' Israel has targeted three key Iranian nuclear facilities — Natanz, Isfahan and Fordow — and several top scientists involved in nuclear research and development. The extent of the damage is beginning to come into view, with satellite imagery and expert analysis hinting that the strikes had a significant impact on at least two of the locations. But the full extent of the damage remains unclear – not least because Iran's most sensitive nuclear infrastructure is buried deep underground – and each side gave predictably contrasting assessments: An Israeli military official said that strikes on Iran's nuclear sites in Natanz and Isfahan were able to damage the sites 'significantly,' while Iran claimed that damage to the facilities was limited. 'The whole (nuclear) supply chain has been disrupted,' Ali Vaez, the Iran Project Director at the International Crisis Group, told CNN on Sunday, as Israel and Iran continued to exchange fire. Vaez stressed the significance of each targeted nuclear site, which are all involved in the complex sequence of steps required to create a nuclear weapon. 'This chain is now broken, but it could be put back together in a matter of months, because Iran has both the knowhow and the material that is required for it,' he cautioned. 'This is not a problem that will go away simply with aerial strikes.'
