Iran’s Fordow underground uranium enrichment facility, one of the country’s most secure and strategically significant nuclear installations, has come under attack again, according to Iranian state television. 

This latest assault occurred on Monday amid a broader wave of Israeli airstrikes across Iran, just one day after the United States conducted a major strike targeting Fordow and two other key nuclear sites—Natanz and Isfahan—using advanced bunker-buster munitions.

The Fordow site, built deep within a mountain near the city of Qom, is considered exceptionally fortified, with its main chambers estimated to lie 80 to 90 meters underground, making it resistant to most conventional airstrikes.

The U.S. attack reportedly involved six B-2 bombers dropping a total of twelve 30,000-pound GBU-57 "bunker-buster" bombs specifically designed to penetrate such hardened underground targets. Satellite imagery has revealed at least six large craters at the Fordow site, indicative of the use of these massive munitions, with significant alterations in the mountainside’s appearance and large areas covered in grey ash following the strikes.

Analysis of the satellite images suggests that the U.S. strikes were likely aimed at the facility’s most vulnerable points, particularly ventilation shafts and access routes, which are critical for the operation and safety of the underground enrichment halls.

Experts believe that targeting these shafts could compromise the structural integrity of the facility, potentially causing extensive internal damage. The Open Source Centre’s 3D modelling and topographical analysis confirmed at least two major breach points near the summit of the mountain, with visible ground subsidence and disruption, likely corresponding to the cascade halls housing uranium-enriching centrifuges.

Despite these significant attacks, the full extent of the damage to Fordow remains unclear. Iranian state media confirmed the assault but did not specify the level of destruction or identify the perpetrators of the most recent strike, while other Iranian outlets also reported the incident without additional official details. Israel’s military acknowledged striking access roads to Fordow, stating the intention was to disrupt the site’s accessibility rather than directly target the underground chambers.

Rafael Mariano Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), stated that given the explosive payloads used and the vibration-sensitive nature of the centrifuges, "very significant damage is expected to have occurred" at Fordow. However, Grossi also emphasized that, as of now, no one—including the IAEA—has been able to fully assess the underground damage due to lack of access.

Independent analysts note that while the strikes may have caused considerable destruction to the infrastructure, Iran’s enriched uranium stockpile might have been relocated in anticipation of the attacks. Satellite images showed trucks at Fordow and Isfahan sealing tunnels and possibly moving materials away before the strikes, suggesting that Iran may have safeguarded its most valuable nuclear assets.

The Fordow facility has suffered repeated and intense military strikes from both the United States and Israel within a short period. Satellite evidence and expert analysis point to substantial damage, particularly to critical infrastructure such as ventilation shafts and cascade halls.

However, the precise impact on Iran’s uranium enrichment capabilities and the fate of its enriched uranium stockpile remain uncertain, pending thorough on-site inspection and independent verification.

Agencies