The US does not rule out the use of tactical nuclear weapons to attack a nuclear facility in Iran.
This was reported by Fox News correspondent Jackie Henrich.
The Guardian newspaper wrote on June 19 that Trump is hesitant to strike Iran because he doubts the effectiveness of GBU-57 bunker-busting bombs.
In particular, Defense Ministry officials who received a relevant briefing were informed that the use of conventional bombs — even as part of a broader strike operation with several GBU-57s — would not provide sufficient depth of penetration underground, but would only lead to a partial collapse of the tunnels and fill them with debris.
They were also told that to completely destroy Fordow, which Israeli intelligence estimates is over 90 meters deep, the US would first have to “soften” the soil with conventional bombs and then drop a tactical nuclear bomb from a B-2 bomber.
These assessments were made by the Defense Threat Reduction Agency, a division of the US Department of Defense, which tested the GBU-57 and analyzed the effectiveness of American weapons against a number of underground targets.
Moreover, the US president does not seem to be considering the option of using nuclear weapons, and neither Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth nor the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dan Kaine, have offered him such an option.
However, Heinrich said that her sources in the White House did not confirm the information to The Guardian. In particular, her interlocutor denied that any options (including tactical nuclear weapons) had been taken off the negotiating table.
- Western media reported that Trump has approved a plan for a possible attack on Iran. However, he is postponing it to see if Iran will abandon its nuclear program. However, American officials expect an attack in the coming days. One possible target for the US is the well-protected uranium enrichment facility in Fordow.
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