In a bold escalation, the Zionist regime has launched unprecedented airstrikes against Iranian territory with the declared aim of crippling Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, ballistic missile factories, and other military capabilities. The strikes have reportedly resulted in the assassination of top military commanders and nuclear scientists, along with damage to select infrastructure.
While Israeli officials claim that “the road to Tehran is now open,” Iranian sources have confirmed that the Israeli strike on the Fordow facility caused only minor damage and no nuclear contamination.
Iran has long anticipated such threats and developed complex, multilayered defences for its nuclear sites—leveraging geographic features, deep-buried bunkers, and fortified construction to shield them from aerial attacks.
Natanz: The Underground Fortress
In 2002, the Paris-based National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) revealed that Iran was building a secret underground nuclear facility in the city of Natanz. The Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS) later confirmed the site’s role in uranium enrichment.
By 2012, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) expressed growing concern about Iran’s undeclared nuclear activities, including the potential development of a nuclear warhead for missiles.
A more recent ISIS report, based on satellite imagery, revealed that Iran has been reinforcing a massive security perimeter around two deeply buried tunnel complexes near the Natanz facility—believed to be nearing operational readiness.
David Albright, head of the ISIS institute, stated that these complexes—embedded deep within the Kolang Gaz La mountain range—may house highly enriched nuclear materials or advanced centrifuges capable of rapidly producing weapons-grade uranium.
Iran has denied UN inspectors access to the site, citing sovereign rights. Officials insist the tunnels are intended to consolidate centrifuge operations after sabotage incidents in 2020 targeted Natanz.
According to Albright, these new facilities are buried far deeper than even the well-fortified Fordow site near Qom.
Satellite imagery from March 29, 2025, showed heavily fortified entrances, high concrete walls, and signs of further excavation for shielding. The northern entrance is connected to a security ring around the existing Natanz facility.
Iran has repeatedly asserted its right to peaceful nuclear technology, rejecting U.S. demands to dismantle its program as a precondition for diplomacy.
Natanz remains the largest uranium enrichment site in Iran, stretching over three square kilometers, with multiple underground halls housing thousands of centrifuges. Reports indicate the facility lies about 50 meters deep, protected by a network of tunnels and secure chambers.
Estimates suggest that just two underground buildings at Natanz could host up to 50,000 centrifuges. As of 2015, the IAEA confirmed that Iran possessed 19,000 centrifuges, with at least 5,000 in Natanz alone.
Since 2021, Natanz has reportedly produced most of Iran’s 60% enriched uranium stockpile—just shy of weapons-grade. The IAEA’s latest report places this stockpile at 408 kilograms.
Fordow: Iran’s Deepest Shield
The Fordow facility was also revealed by the NCRI in 2009 as an underground complex near Qom, buried deep inside a mountain.
Western intelligence later confirmed the existence of other nuclear-related sites in and around Tehran. According to Mark Fitzpatrick, an expert on nuclear arms control, sites like Natanz are not invulnerable. He claims that deep-penetrating bombs could damage key components with precision strikes—using one bomb to create an opening and another to destroy sensitive equipment.
Still, Fordow’s depth—estimated at over 80 meters—makes it a far tougher target, even for the U.S. military. Some analysts suggest multiple, sustained strikes over days or weeks would be needed to inflict serious damage.
Darya Dolzikova, a nuclear policy analyst at the UK’s Royal United Services Institute, described Fordow as the most fortified nuclear facility in Iran. According to her, even if Israel or the U.S. were to attempt a strike, it is likely that Iran would continue any future weapons program from other fortified—and possibly secret—locations.
Could These Facilities Be Destroyed?
Iran’s nuclear sites are increasingly built deep underground, surrounded by complex tunnel systems and labyrinthine architecture. This makes them almost unreachable by standard air raids.
Only a handful of weapons could potentially reach such depths—most notably the U.S. GBU-57 “Massive Ordnance Penetrator”, a 15-ton bunker-buster carried only by B-2 Spirit bombers and the upcoming B-21 Raider.
Israel does not possess aircraft capable of deploying these weapons.
Footage from recent Israeli strikes shows the use of F-35, F-15, and F-16 fighters, possibly equipped with 2,000-pound guided bombs. While F-15I jets can carry up to 4,000-pound bunker busters, this still falls short of the firepower needed to destroy deep-fortified sites like Fordow.
Expert Consensus: Israel Can’t Do It Alone
Iranian expert Rouzbeh Parsi, speaking to El País, stated:
“Israel cannot destroy Iran’s nuclear program on its own. Only the United States has the military capacity to do that.”
Even if Israel were to succeed in a full-scale attack, Washington estimates that Iran could rebuild its program within two years.
Past Israeli efforts to derail Iran’s nuclear ambitions—including Stuxnet cyberattacks, assassinations of scientists, and centrifuge sabotage—have all resulted in temporary setbacks, not permanent damage.
According to CNN, Iran has constructed 90-degree-angled tunnels to shield against supersonic missiles, which cannot change trajectory sharply enough to navigate such turns. This engineering feat reflects Iran’s deliberate strategy to defend its nuclear program from airborne assaults.
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