Satellite Imagery Reveals Damage to Iran’s Fordow Nuclear Site

Recent satellite images of Iran’s Fordow nuclear enrichment facility indicate significant destruction, with part of the mountain shielding the site severely impacted by a U.S. airstrike over the weekend. The imagery, captured by Maxar Technologies, suggests a considerable blast resulting from a B-2 stealth bomber attack ordered by President Trump.

Before and after views show the once brown mountainsides now appearing grey in sections, indicating that the landscape has been dramatically altered by the detonation of 14 massive bombs, known as Massive Ordnance Penetrators, weighing 30,000 pounds each.

One of the photos captures the site approximately 100 miles south of Tehran, revealing large craters and gaping holes in the mountains. Preliminary analyses hint that Iran may have sealed the entrance to the facility prior to the strike, possibly anticipating such an event.

Additionally, traffic images show multiple vehicles lined up near the facility’s entrance, raising questions about the operational status of Fordow despite Tehran’s silence on the extent of the damage.

While State TV has reported that Iran evacuated personnel from Fordow prior to the attack, officials, such as Hassan Abedini from Iran’s state media, stated that enriched uranium reserves had been relocated, minimizing the risk of harmful radiation.

Military experts indicate that Fordow is embedded deeply within the mountains near Qom, covering about 54,000 square feet and housing around 3,000 centrifuges. There are suggestions that Israel did not possess the necessary weaponry for a targeted strike, leading to the request for the U.S. GBU-57—an advanced bunker-buster capable of drilling into the ground before detonating.

The GBU-57, developed in the early 2000s, can penetrate over 200 feet of soil and concrete, underscoring the strategic capabilities employed in the attack. This ongoing situation continues to unfold as Tehran navigates the fallout from these developments.