US deploys B-2 bombers capable of striking Iran’s Fordow nuclear site: Report

The US has deployed between two and four B-2 stealth bombers toward the Pacific Ocean with Israeli assessments indicating that these aircraft are capable of destroying Iran’s highly fortified Fordow nuclear facility, the Israeli daily Haaretz reported Saturday, Anadolu reports.

The daily cited a senior Israeli military official as saying that Fordow, located in a tunnel beneath a mountain near the city of Qom, is one of the facilities already designated as a target. “If we are given the order to strike, we will act,” the unnamed source said.

The bombers departed from Whiteman Air Force Base in the US state of Missouri and are headed west toward the strategic US base in Guam — a US island territory in Micronesia in the Western Pacific — accompanied by four refueling aircraft, Haaretz reported.

It remains unclear whether they will continue to Diego Garcia, a key US base located roughly 3,500 kilometers (2,174 miles) from Iran, it added.

Fordow is considered one of Iran’s most secure nuclear sites, lying around 80-90 meters (262-295 feet) underground. Due to the depth and engineering complexity of the facility, military experts have long debated whether it could be completely destroyed, even by the US’ largest conventional bombs.

Haaretz described three potential scenarios that have been discussed regarding a strike on Fordow.

One would involve a direct American airstrike using a massive bomb such as the MOAB, or Massive Ordnance Air Blast, which weighs around 13 to 14 tons and is released from strategic bombers.

Another possibility would be an Israeli operation using US-supplied aircraft, though this option is currently viewed as unlikely.

A third scenario would see the Israeli Air Force conducting a unilateral strike using all available aerial assets, including stealth fighters and long-range aircraft.

The newspaper noted that the urgency surrounding such discussions has grown in recent days.

On Wednesday, the Israeli daily Maariv reported that Israeli officials are preparing for a possible attack on Fordow without necessarily waiting for Washington’s green light.

Hostilities broke out on June 13 when Israel launched airstrikes on several sites across Iran, including military and nuclear facilities, prompting Tehran to launch retaliatory strikes.

Israeli authorities said at least 25 people have been killed and hundreds injured since then in Iranian missile attacks.

Meanwhile, in Iran, 430 people have been killed and more than 3,500 wounded in the Israeli assault, according to the Iranian Health Ministry.