As tensions with Iran escalate, the United States is weighing the use of its most powerful bunker-buster bomb to strike the deeply buried Fordo enrichment facility, a move that would mark a dramatic shift in the conflict and test the limits of modern airpower.

Fordo: Iran’s Most Fortified Nuclear Site

Located 60 miles south of Tehran, Iran’s Fordo facility was deliberately built inside a mountain to withstand air attacks. Estimates suggest it lies at least 260 to 360 feet underground, making it nearly impervious to conventional munitions.

The only known weapon capable of reaching the site is the GBU-57/B Massive Ordnance Penetrator, a 30,000-pound U.S. “bunker buster” designed specifically to destroy hardened underground facilities. The bomb can be carried only by America’s B-2 Spirit stealth bombers.

Experts believe a single strike would not suffice; instead, multiple GBU-57s would need to be dropped in succession down the same shaft to breach the facility’s depth and structural fortifications.

Strategic and Political Stakes for the U.S.

According to The New York Times, President Donald Trump is actively considering this option as part of a broader response to Iran’s nuclear escalation and its ongoing missile attacks on Israel. While Israel has carried out strikes on other nuclear sites like Natanz and Isfahan, only the U.S. has the capability to hit Fordo.

The decision carries weighty consequences. “You can’t dismantle the nuclear program through military means alone,” said Scott Roecker of the Nuclear Threat Initiative. “A negotiated deal with transparency is the only sustainable solution.”

Experts Warn of Long-Term Risks

Though Fordo’s structure may limit radioactive fallout in the event of a strike, experts warn that bombing it could strengthen Tehran’s resolve to pursue nuclear weapons. Iran could also deepen and disperse future facilities, making them even harder to detect and destroy.

“Even if successful, such an attack might not eliminate Iran’s nuclear capabilities—it could drive them further underground,” said Heather Williams from the Center for Strategic and International Studies.