Why Israel Can’t Strike Iran’s Fordo Nuclear Facility — And What It Would Take to Do It

Why Israel Hasn’t Been Able to Strike Iran’s Fordo Nuclear Facility — And What It Would Take

Tensions in the Middle East reached a new peak last week when Israel launched a surprise military operation dubbed ‘Operation Rising Lion’, targeting Iran’s strategic nuclear and military infrastructure. While several sites, including the well-known Natanz uranium enrichment plant, were struck, one particularly critical site has remained beyond Israel’s reach — the Fordo nuclear facility.

What Makes Fordo So Formidable?

Located about 100 kilometers southwest of Tehran, near the holy city of Qom, the Fordo facility is one of the most secure and secretive nuclear sites in Iran. What sets Fordo apart is not just its purpose — uranium enrichment to 60% purity, dangerously close to weapons-grade 90% levels — but its location. The facility is buried 80 to 90 meters under a mountain, making it virtually impervious to conventional airstrikes.

Disclosed to the public in 2009, Fordo has been at the center of global nuclear non-proliferation concerns ever since. According to reports by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Fordo houses a significant number of Iran’s most advanced centrifuges, accelerating fears over Tehran’s nuclear ambitions.

Why Israel Can’t Reach It Alone

Though Israel reportedly attempted strikes near Fordo during the initial phase of Operation Rising Lion, explosions heard around the site didn’t translate into tangible damage. Experts explain that Israel lacks the kind of deep-penetrating ordnance required to breach such fortified underground bunkers.

This is where the United States comes into the equation. Only the US military possesses the GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) — a 30,000-pound (approximately 14,000 kilograms) bunker-busting bomb designed to penetrate hardened underground facilities. The bomb can only be deployed using the B-2 Spirit stealth bomber, a highly advanced aircraft that Israel does not have in its arsenal.

The Geopolitical Dilemma

While Israel considers Fordo a grave and immediate threat, direct US military involvement would mark a significant escalation in an already volatile regional conflict. Until now, Washington has opted to defend its personnel and assets in the region while providing interceptive support against attacks on Israel, stopping short of engaging Iranian infrastructure directly.

An offensive operation targeting Fordo would not only risk dragging the United States deeper into the conflict but could also provoke a wider regional confrontation — something both allies have cautiously sought to avoid.

What Lies Ahead

As Israel’s campaign continues and the international community watches closely, the fate of Fordo remains uncertain. Intelligence officials and analysts agree: unless a diplomatic breakthrough occurs or the US chooses to intervene militarily, Fordo will likely remain operational, continuing to enrich uranium at perilously high levels.

The situation underscores the precarious balance between military strategy, regional politics, and global security — a balance now hanging by a thread in one of the world’s most volatile regions.

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