Why US must destroy Iran's Fordow nuclear facility now

Beneath the rugged look of Mount Alvand adjacent the spiritual metropolis of Qom lies the Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant—an underground stronghold and centerpiece of Iran’s atomic ambitions. Though presented arsenic a civilian facility, Fordow is wide believed by Israeli quality to beryllium the probable bosom of Tehran’s covert atomic weapons effort.

For years, the Islamic Republic has played a unsafe game—enriching uranium conscionable beneath weapons-grade, obstructing International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) oversight, and utilizing determination instability arsenic a shield for its ambitions. While Israel has confronted atomic threats before, it lacks the bunker-busting capableness to neutralize Fordow. That work present falls to the United States. The lawsuit for destroying Fordow is not lone strong—it is urgent.

Fordow: The Core of Iran’s Nuclear Calculus

Iran’s atomic infrastructure includes assorted sites: Natanz, which is much exposed; Arak, partially repurposed; and Esfahan and Parchin, some cardinal probe locations. But Fordow stands apart. It is buried nether astir 80 meters of stone and hosts precocious IR-6 centrifuges susceptible of enriching uranium astatine accelerated rates. The tract is engineered to past accepted airstrikes and represents Iran’s strategical stake connected invulnerability.

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Western quality exposed Fordow successful 2009 aft years of concealment. Prime Minister Netanyahu warned that Iran’s leaders "have backed up their genocidal rhetoric with a atomic weapons program," and cautioned, "if not stopped, Iran could nutrient a atomic limb successful a precise abbreviated time. It could beryllium a year. It could beryllium wrong a fewer months, little than a year." While helium told Business Insider that Israel’s onslaught deed "the halfway of Iran’s atomic weaponization infrastructure," helium acknowledged that Israel "lacks the dense bunker-busting munitions" needed to destruct sites similar Fordow.

Fordow is not conscionable different enrichment site—it is simply a fortified monument to Iran’s deception and determination. The United States unsocial has the tools and scope to destruct it. 

IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi confirmed successful 2024 that Iran present possesses capable uranium enriched to 60%—a method heartbeat distant from weapons-grade levels—to physique respective atomic devices. He warned that the IAEA lacked capable transparency successful Iran’s atomic activities and cautioned that "without afloat Iranian cooperation, the bureau cannot verify that its programme is peaceful." 

A Pattern of Deception—and Alarm

In 2018, Mossad operatives seized 55,000 documents from a Tehran warehouse revealing a covert atomic weapons programme known arsenic "Project Amad." David Albright of the Institute for Science and International Security assessed the worldly arsenic "clear grounds that Iran intended to nutrient 5 atomic weapons."

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Despite the JCPOA framework, Iran continues nuclear-related enactment astatine undeclared sites—Turquzabad, Marivan, and Varamin—where IAEA inspectors person recovered traces of atomic worldly without explanation. These discoveries constituent to a sustained weapons agenda.

In 2023, IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Herzi Halevi warned that "negative developments regarding Iran’s atomic program" could compel Israel to act. His predecessor, Lt. Gen. Aviv Kochavi, was much blunt: "Iran contiguous has capable enriched worldly to nutrient 4 atomic bombs, 3 astatine 20 percent and 1 astatine 60 percent."

Despite the threat, Israel cannot onslaught Fordow effectively. As Israeli Ambassador Yechiel Leiter admitted, "We whitethorn beryllium capable to onslaught Natanz, but we cannot scope Fordow without American support."

How the U.S. Would Strike—and Why It Must

The U.S. subject possesses the capableness to neutralize Fordow. The GBU-57A/B Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP)—a 30,000-pound bunker-buster—is designed for hardened targets similar Fordow. Dropped from a B-2 Spirit stealth bomber, it tin penetrate 60 feet of reinforced factual oregon hundreds of feet of ungraded and rock. Multiple MOPs delivered successful a precision, double-tap signifier could illness Fordow’s operation entirely.

A onslaught bundle would apt include:

• Stealth B-2 bomber infiltration from bases specified arsenic Whiteman AFB oregon Diego Garcia;
• Electronic suppression of Iranian aerial defenses;
• Real-time outer and drone ISR (intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance);
• Follow-on cruise rocket strikes arsenic necessary.

But the ngo cannot halt astatine detonation. The United States indispensable importune connected autarkic verification that Fordow is irreparably disabled. This could see IAEA inspection—if permitted—or the usage of American quality capabilities to stitchery imagery, seismic data, and on-ground confirmation. A palmy onslaught means small unless the satellite tin verify the result.

Osirak Revisited: Lessons from 1981

In 1981, Israel destroyed Iraq’s Osirak reactor successful Operation Opera. Then-Prime Minister Menachem Begin stated, "Never again volition we let an force to make weapons of wide demolition against the Jewish people." Although initially condemned, the onslaught was aboriginal vindicated erstwhile the Gulf War revealed Saddam Hussein’s persistent atomic ambitions.

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The U.S. present stands wherever Israel erstwhile stood—facing a captious menace with constricted time. Delay whitethorn let Iran to physique a bomb, fortify alternate sites, oregon export atomic know-how to its proxies successful Lebanon, Syria, oregon Yemen.

What If We Don’t Strike?

Opponents of subject enactment reason it could spark a determination war, thrust up lipid prices, oregon embolden Iran’s hardliners. Those are superior risks—but not greater than allowing a fanatical authorities to tract atomic weapons. Iran has already threatened retaliation, but its escalation capableness is checked by economical fragility, interior dissent, and the specter of overwhelming U.S. retaliation.

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As Henry Kissinger erstwhile observed, "The classical conception of deterrence was that determination was immoderate effect earlier which aggressors and evildoers would recoil." Deterrence indispensable beryllium credible—and credibility, astatine times, requires action.

Failure to enactment would embolden different atomic aspirants. From North Korea to China, rogue regimes are watching. A atomic Iran would astir surely provoke proliferation crossed the Middle East, triggering a determination arms contention with Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Egypt.

The Cost of Inaction

Striking Fordow volition not erase Iran’s atomic knowledge. But it volition cripple its astir unafraid facility, acceptable the programme backmost years, and awesome that the U.S. volition enactment erstwhile planetary stableness is connected the line. The alternate is simply a aboriginal wherever Iran detonates a weaponry successful concealed and confronts the satellite from a presumption of strength—and impunity.

That script would unit the U.S. into a larger and bloodier war; 1 fought nether the shadiness of a atomic threat.

Conclusion

Fordow is not conscionable another enrichment site—it is simply a fortified monument to Iran’s deception and determination. The United States unsocial has the tools and scope to destruct it. This mission, if undertaken, indispensable beryllium precise, overwhelming, and independently verified.

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The timepiece is ticking. Each period Iran delays inspection, each hint of worldly recovered astatine an undeclared site, each rhetorical threat, inches america person to the constituent of nary return.

History volition justice our resolve. Let it beryllium said that erstwhile the upland hid the bomb, America shattered the mountain—and proved it.

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