US Airstrikes Inflict Severe Damage on Iran Nuclear Sites Fordo, Natanz, Isfahan

The United States conducted a significant airstrike on Iran's nuclear facilities, including the underground Fordow uranium enrichment plant, using bunker-buster bombs that caused "very significant" and "extremely severe" damage according to UN nuclear watchdog Rafael Grossi and US military officials. Satellite imagery and initial assessments indicate craters and destruction at Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan, though a full evaluation of the underground damage remains unfeasible due to limited access. Despite the damage, Iran reported no increase in off-site radiation levels following the strikes, which were part of Operation Midnight Hammer, a joint US-Israeli effort to degrade Iran's nuclear infrastructure. The US Pentagon emphasized that the mission was not aimed at regime change but at crippling Iran's nuclear capabilities. The airstrikes represent the first combat use of the US's largest conventional bunker-busting bombs and involved B-2 stealth bombers flying over several Middle Eastern countries to reach their targets. Coordination between US and Israeli forces was confirmed, though the US stated Israeli jets were not involved in the strikes.