There are few military tasks as daunting as disabling a nuclear program concealed beneath multiple layers of rock and reinforced concrete. The recent operations to strike at Iran’s nuclear installations—Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan—emphasize the technical expertise, strategic thought, and high risk required for contemporary warfare.
Iran’s nuclear installations are not structures above ground. Fordow, for instance, is cut into a mountain, protected by hundreds of feet of concrete and rock, and backed by sophisticated air defenses. This intentional design is the result of experiences from past attacks, including Israel’s bombing of Iraq’s Osirak reactor in 1981 and Syria’s Deir ez-Zor reactor in 2007. Iran has constructed its facilities to withstand air attacks, spreading important parts and situating them as deep as engineering is possible.
Traditional bombs usually fail against these hardened targets. Even Israel’s bunker-busters, such as the GBU-28 and BLU-109, are at a loss with extreme depths. The sole gun designed to consistently reach these buried facilities is the U.S. GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator—a 30,000-pound precision-guided bomb that was specifically designed to hit targets buried as deep as 200 feet. Its power comes in the form of its hardened steel casing, which enables it to drill deep into the ground before exploding, successfully penetrating highly fortified targets.
Leveraging the GBU-57 is not an easy feat. Only the U.S. Air Force’s B-2 Spirit stealth bomber can deploy and deliver these enormous bombs. Its stealth features enable it to remain undetected, fly intercontinental ranges, and deploy two GBU-57s per mission.
In a recent mission, seven B-2s infiltrated Iranian airspace undetected, bombing fourteen GBU-57s at Fordow alone. The mission also involved cruise missile attacks and an intricate web of support aircraft, showing the logistical and tactical acumen for such high-risk missions.
Despite this firepower, destroying sites like Fordow is far from guaranteed. The GBU-57 is designed to penetrate before exploding, but multiple bombs may need to strike precisely the same location to achieve full destruction. The risk grows with each successive strike, and some underground chambers could survive, especially if additional reinforcements or dispersal measures have been implemented.
There is also the risk of fallout and contamination. Targeting live nuclear facilities can release chemical or radioactive materials. Analysts point out that these operations test the limits of conventional forces in what can be done without risking wider environmental damage. Although contamination is seen within Natanz and Isfahan, radiation levels outside the sites are still normal. Fordow’s deep burial reduces exposure, but any failure would still be localized hazards.
Environmental concerns directly influence military planning. Certain installations, such as Iran’s Bushehr nuclear reactor, are so contaminated that targeting them is routinely avoided, even though they are considered strategic targets. Future operations will be forced to balance military impact against fallout and political fallout risks.
A sobering fact is that the destruction of facilities does not erase knowledge. Even if Fordow is leveled, Iran still possesses the know-how to rebuild its nuclear program. Experts point out that such an attack can only set back progress by months or a few years, not halt the program altogether.
Strategically, these missions reveal both potential and limitations. The United States and Israel have proved that they can access even the most secure locations, but by diminishing diplomatic maneuverability and intensifying tensions. Iran’s retaliation might vary from missile strikes to surreptitious rebuilding, while the world grapples with the multifaceted outcomes of a war that pushes the limits of traditional military strength.
Finally, targeting Iran’s entrenched nuclear facilities highlights the cleverness, danger, and boundaries of war today. It’s a high-risk game where cutting-edge technology, strategy, and geopolitics converge—and where the toughest targets are less likely than not to be those buried deepest below ground.