US bombs Iran’s nuclear sites: What we know so far

United States President Donald Trump has announced the bombing of 3 Iranian atomic sites, arsenic Washington efficaciously joined Israel’s warfare against Iran.

“We person completed our precise palmy onslaught connected the three Nuclear sites successful Iran, including Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan. All planes are present extracurricular of Iran aerial space,” Trump wrote connected his Truth Social platform, utilizing a antithetic spelling for Isfahan.

In a televised code aboriginal connected Sunday, helium said “the strikes were a spectacular subject success”.

The US determination to intervene militarily to assistance the Israeli attacks connected Iran has prompted fears of a superior escalation crossed the Middle East and brought backmost memories of the devastation successful Iraq pursuing the 2003 US invasion. Israel launched unprecedented attacks connected Iran connected June 13, targeting its atomic sites and apical subject commanders.

More than 400 radical person been killed successful Israeli attacks successful Iran, portion retaliatory strikes by Tehran person killed astatine slightest 24 radical successful Israel.

Here is what we cognize truthful acold astir the US attacks connected Iran:

What areas has the US bombed successful Iran?

The US utilized bunker-buster bombs to people 3 cardinal atomic facilities – Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan – utilizing the B2 bomber jets, according to US media reports.

“The strikes were a spectacular subject success,” Trump said successful his televised address. “Iran’s cardinal atomic enrichment facilities person been wholly and wholly obliterated,” helium said, adding that “our nonsubjective was the demolition of Iran’s atomic enrichment capacity”.

Al Jazeera could not instantly verify Trump’s claims independently.

Here’s what we cognize astir the 3 atomic sites:

Fordow, a highly fortified underground uranium enrichment facility, is reportedly buried hundreds of metres heavy successful the mountains adjacent Qom, successful northwestern Iran. This tract is designed to clasp up to 2,976 spinning centrifuges, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

Natanz is Iran’s largest enrichment complex, containing immense halls of centrifuges, immoderate underground. It has been a cardinal hub of Iran’s atomic programme and the tract of aggregate past sabotage attempts – and was deed by Israeli strikes connected the archetypal question of attacks connected June 13.

Isfahan is an important atomic probe and accumulation centre that includes a uranium conversion installation and substance fabrication plants. It plays a captious relation successful preparing earthy materials for enrichment and reactor use.

For years, Israel and the US person accused Iran of processing atomic weapons but Iran maintains its atomic programme is for civilian purposes.

IAEA main Rafael Grossi has besides rejected claims that Tehran was connected the verge of making atomic bombs, though the United Nations atomic watchdog has expressed concerns against Iran’s determination to enrich uranium astatine up to 60 percent purity.

Tehran stepped up enrichment aft Trump walked retired of the landmark 2015 atomic woody – Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) – successful 2018 that had capped Iran’s atomic activity.

What weapons did the US usage successful Iran?

Trump announced “massive precision strikes” but shared nary circumstantial details astir the weapons utilized successful the attack. However, US media reports suggested the US service dropped “bunker buster” bombs and navy submarines fired aggregate cruise missiles.

The GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) is the astir almighty bunker buster bomb successful the US subject arsenal, weighing astir 13,000kg (30,000 pounds). Bunker buster bombs tin penetrate astir 18 metres (59 feet) of factual oregon 61 metres (200 feet) of earth, which a accepted weaponry cannot reach.

The B-2 Spirit, a US stealth bomber, is presently the lone craft designed to deploy the GBU-57 and tin transportation 2 bunker buster bombs astatine a time, which the aerial unit says tin driblet aggregate bombs sequentially, allowing each onslaught to burrow deeper.

The US involution is seen arsenic captious astatine this constituent for the Israeli run against Iranian atomic facilities, particularly Fordow, owed to its depth. Israeli attacks had failed to destruct the site.

While astir fractional a twelve B-2 bombers reportedly dropped a twelve 13,000kg bunker buster bombs connected the Fordow site, navy submarines are said to person coordinated strikes by cruise missiles astatine the Natanz and Isfahan sites, according to media reports.

This besides marks the archetypal clip that the US utilized MOPs successful combat.

What was the interaction of US strikes?

Trump claimed “Iran’s cardinal atomic enrichment facilities person been wholly and wholly obliterated”.

Yet determination is nary autarkic verification yet of the grade of harm astatine the atomic facilities.

Mehdi Mohammadi, an advisor to the president of the Iranian parliament, claimed that the US onslaught was not astonishing and that Iranian authorities had evacuated the Fordow installation successful advance.

“Iran has been expecting strikes connected Fordow for respective days. This atomic installation was evacuated, nary irreversible harm was sustained during today’s attack,” Mohammadi said successful a connection posted connected X.

Confirming the attacks connected Sunday, Iran’s atomic bureau said the radiation strategy information and tract surveys bash not amusement signs of contamination oregon information to residents adjacent the sites.

“Following the amerciable US onslaught connected the Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan atomic sites, tract surveys and radiation systems information showed: No contamination recorded,” the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) said successful a societal media post. “There is nary information to residents astir these sites. Safety is successful a unchangeable state.”

After the US bombing of its cardinal atomic facilities, the bureau insisted that its enactment would not beryllium stopped.

“The [agency] assures the large Iranian federation that contempt the evil conspiracies of its enemies, with the efforts of thousands of its revolutionary and motivated scientists and experts, it volition not let the improvement of this nationalist industry, which is the effect of the humor of atomic martyrs, to beryllium stopped,” AEOI said successful a statement.

The IAEA besides did not find an summation successful radiation levels adjacent the targeted sites.

“Following attacks connected 3 atomic sites successful Iran – including Fordow – the IAEA tin corroborate that nary summation successful off-site radiation levels has been reported arsenic of this time,” the bureau said successful a societal media station connected Sunday.

“IAEA volition supply further assessments connected concern successful Iran arsenic much accusation becomes available.”

Grossi said the IAEA volition clasp an exigency gathering connected Monday successful the aftermath of the attacks.

A outer representation shows trucks and bulldozers adjacent the entranceway to the Fordow atomic facility, adjacent Qom, Iran [File: Maxar Technologies/Handout via Reuters]

What has Iran said?

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the US “has committed a sedate usurpation of the UN Charter, planetary instrumentality and the NPT by attacking Iran’s peaceful atomic installations”.

Tehran has already threatened to locomotion distant from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), aimed astatine preventing the dispersed of atomic weapons and promoting peaceful uses of atomic energy.

“The events this greeting are outrageous and volition person everlasting consequences. Each and each subordinate of the UN indispensable beryllium alarmed implicit this highly dangerous, lawless, and transgression behavior,” said Araghchi successful a connection posted connected X.

“In accordance with the UN Charter and its provisions allowing a morganatic effect successful self-defense, Iran reserves each options to support its sovereignty, interests, and people,” helium added.

Last week, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei had warned the US against joining Israeli attacks connected Iran. He said it would “result successful irreparable consequences” for the US.

In his archetypal televised code since Israel began its attacks connected June 13, Khamenei said Iran “will not surrender to anyone” and “will basal steadfast against an imposed war, conscionable arsenic it volition basal steadfast against an imposed peace”.

How volition Iran retaliate against the US?

Condemning the US attacks, Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said connected Sunday it had the close to defy specified “aggression”.

“The satellite indispensable not hide that it was the United States that, successful the midst of a diplomatic process, betrayed diplomacy” by supporting Israel’s “aggressive action”, and is present waging “a unsafe warfare against Iran”, the ministry said successful a connection carried by the semi-official Tasnim quality agency.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran considers it its close to basal with each its mightiness against US subject aggression and the crimes committed by this rogue regime, and to support the information and nationalist interests of Iran,” it added.

Antonio Guterres, the UN chief, said helium was gravely alarmed by the US attacks connected Iran.

“This is simply a unsafe escalation successful a portion already connected the borderline – and a nonstop menace to planetary bid and security. There is simply a increasing hazard that this struggle could rapidly get retired of power – with catastrophic consequences for civilians, the region, and the world,” Guterres said.

Stephen Zunes, the manager of Middle Eastern studies astatine the University of San Francisco, laid retired respective options disposable to Iran successful effect to the US attacks unfolding. “They tin onslaught US forces directly. There are up to 40,000 Americans wrong the range, not conscionable of Iranian missiles but of drones and different weaponry,” helium said.

“You person the fleet successful the Persian Gulf, conscionable disconnected the Iranian coast. They tin beryllium susceptible arsenic good if they attack,” Zunes said, utilizing different sanction for the Gulf, which is besides referred to arsenic the Arabian Gulf. “It could interaction planetary shipping, impacting lipid prices and so the full planetary economy.”

Zunes besides pointed towards the “proxy militias successful Iraq who could people American bases there”, adding that helium would beryllium “surprised if the Iranians don’t people astatine slightest immoderate of these”.

On Sunday, Iran deployed 1 of its astir precocious missiles, the Kheibar Shekan, arsenic it carried retired attacks connected Israel.

Iran mightiness besides determination towards withdrawing from the NPT. Abbas Golroo, the parliament overseas argumentation committee head, said Tehran has the ineligible close to retreat from the NPT pursuing the US attacks.

Article 10 states that an NPT subordinate has “the close to retreat from the Treaty if it decides that bonzer events person jeopardized the ultimate interests of its country”.

Adam Weinstein, the lawman manager of the Middle East programme astatine the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, said the US is present astatine hazard of getting dragged into a prolonged warfare successful the Middle East.

He noted that Iran has already indicated that it intends to proceed with its atomic programme.

“They’ll bash it much secretly. They mightiness exit the NPT, and, of course, the Israelis volition say, ‘Well, this is wherefore we request adjacent much strikes.’ And there’s apt to beryllium immoderate benignant of retaliation by the Iranians, oregon other the precise legitimacy of their authorities would beryllium successful question,” Weinstein said.

“And truthful this is however the escalation rhythm starts. And truthful I’m precise sceptical that it volition beryllium a one-off onslaught by the US. I deliberation the US is astatine hazard of being pulled into a warfare of prime with Iran that, unfortunately, it started.”

Trump, meanwhile, besides issued much threats against Iran.

“Any retaliation by Iran against the United States of America volition beryllium met with unit acold greater than what was witnessed tonight,” helium said connected societal media, aft the attacks against Iran.