Washington/Tehran: US President Donald Trump has said that three major nuclear facilities in Iran have been "destroyed". He has announced the destruction of nuclear facilities located in Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan city. Apart from this, the US President has threatened that "if peace does not come soon, more attacks will be carried out." Iran's uranium enrichment site Fordo was targeted in the US attack, which had so far been spared from Israeli attacks. It is believed that this was a very important site for Iran's nuclear program. Fordo is located about 90 meters below a mountain in Iran, to destroy which America has dropped GBU-57 bombs. The specialty of this bomb is that it first penetrates to a depth of about 60 meters and then explodes. This is a bunker buster bomb.
According to the Middle East media reports, a senior Iranian official has confirmed that America had sent a notice to Iran in advance before the attack. The Iranian official, on the condition of anonymity, told Amwaj.media, which gives news about the Middle East, that on June 21, the Trump administration had told Iran that its aim is not to wage war with Iran and that it is only going to attack Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan nuclear facilities. That is, according to American time, America had informed Iran about the attack a day before the attack.
America had given advance information before the attack
Amwaj.media has claimed, citing several officials, that the American bombing was not done from any American airbase in the Middle East. According to the report, at least three B-2 bombers flying from the US dropped six 13.6 tonne Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) bombs on the Fordo underground uranium enrichment site. Experts believe that two bombs have been dropped on both the main gates of the Fordo Nuclear Center. Apart from this, the US Army has fired 30 Tomahawk missiles from a submarine on the Natanz uranium enrichment facility as well as the nuclear complex in Isfahan. CBS has quoted an American official as saying that attacking Isfahan was much more difficult than attacking Fordo.
How much loss did Iran suffer in the American attack?
Donald Trump has said that three nuclear sites of Iran have been completely destroyed in the American attack. The executive director of the Washington-based Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) quoted an "impeccable Israeli contact" as saying that "it seems that this attack has put an end to the Iranian nuclear program. This will be confirmed in the next 24 hours. The last step is to remove nuclear material from nuclear sites." However, preliminary data to assess the damage is still not available. The full details of the damage are not yet known. Iranian officials have confirmed the attack on Fordo, Isfahan and Natanz nuclear sites, but have not given any further information. The Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) has condemned the US bombing, calling it a cruel act.
US strikes iran.
Taking aim at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the AEOI said that the US attack was "unfortunately carried out with the indifference and even support of the United Nations nuclear watchdog". AEOI said it "reassures the great Iranian nation that despite the evil plots of its enemies, the efforts of its thousands of revolutionary and motivated scientists and experts will continue to create, not allow it to be stopped." Iran has vowed to start its nuclear program once again.
What are Iran's options now?
Withdraw from NPT (Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty) - Iran can expel IAEA inspectors from the country and separate itself from global nuclear rules. This will be a major political setback, but it will have a further negative impact on Iran's image.
Attack on Israel's nuclear sites - Many experts have warned that Iran can now attack Israel's Dimona nuclear site. Dimona is Israel's secret nuclear center. An attack on it can ignite a fire in the entire Middle East, but Israel's confidence will have increased a lot after America's entry into the war and America has already deployed its aircraft carrier against Iran.
Closing the Strait of Hormuz- About 20% of the world's oil trade takes place through this route. If Iran stops it, the global oil market will be shaken. Iran, along with Yemen's Houthi rebels, can target ships in the Red Sea and the Gulf.
Attack on US bases in the Middle East- It is most likely that Iran can start attacking US bases in the Middle East. Although the US has already evacuated many bases in Iraq, the remaining bases, such as Al-Assad and Erbil, are still the target of Iran-backed militias. There is a high possibility of an attack here.
Iran currently has very little scope to respond quickly or take political and military action. Iran seems to have very few options, but if Israel attacks, Iran will be able to do so.If the US continues to attack Iran and targets another location again, the situation will become even more difficult for Iran. In such a situation, conflict and confrontation may intensify.
