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Can Israel strike Fordow? The nuclear bunker that resists raids
The Iranian underground site, dug into a mountain, represents the most critical node of Operation Rising Lion: conquering it with direct intervention by the United States remains unlikely
Is Israel really capable of striking the Fordow nuclear facility, the underground heart of Iran’s atomic programme? Operation Rising Lion, announced by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, seems destined to continue until its stated goal is achieved: to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.
But striking Fordow is far from simple. The site, considered together with Natanz one of the most strategic in the entire programme, has been described by the Financial Times as “virtually indestructible” and “Israel’s worst nightmare”.
Buried deep inside a mountain, an estimated 80-90 metres below the surface, Fordow is protected by advanced air defence systems and continuous surveillance. Although Israel has managed to damage the Natanz facility, effectively striking Fordow would require military capabilities that only the United States currently possesses.
‘Only the US has a weapon capable of penetrating Fordow,’ said Yechiel Leiter, Israeli ambassador to Washington, in an interview with Merit TV. The reference is to the GBU-57 bunker-buster bomb, designed to strike deep-buried fortified structures. However, according to several analysts, even this weapon would not guarantee the complete destruction of the facility.
President Donald Trump has so far ruled out direct military involvement, leaving Israel to operate alone. But for Leiter, there are less conventional alternatives: ‘When the dust settles, you will see surprises on Thursday night and Friday,’ he said, alluding to special operations such as the one conducted in Lebanon against Hezbollah, where explosives were hidden in communication devices.
Meanwhile, the confrontation between Israel and Iran remains suspended on the brink of a possible unprecedented escalation, with Fordow at the centre of a technical, military and strategic challenge of global significance.
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