Fordow: The next Israeli and American target

From the first day of the confrontation between Israel and Iran, the name of the “Fordow” facility emerged extensively, and the Israelis hinted that once “Fordow” was destroyed, the war would end. It is by its nature as a facility that is difficult to reach and destroy, due to the large fortifications that surround it. What are its structural components? What are its fortifications? And what is the secret of the strength of “Fordow”? The “Fordow” facility was built under mountains about 120 km south of the capital Tehran, which makes it highly fortified and difficult to target with conventional bombs, and necessitates the use of huge bombs that can penetrate deep. There has been much talk about the B2 aircraft and the GBU-57 bomb, which weighs more than 30,000 pounds and is possessed only by the United States of America. Fordow was constructed inside large tunnels at a depth of approximately 80 to 90 meters below the surface, covering an area of ​​about 54000 square meters. The facility is located within a military base belonging to the Iranian Revolutionary Guard. Concealed beneath solid rock and encased in reinforced concrete, it is beyond the range of any known conventional weapons. According to data from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the facility includes two uranium enrichment halls and houses 16 cascades of IR-1 gas centrifuges, equally distributed between the two units, totaling approximately 3000 centrifuges. The Islamic Republic effectively began construction of the nuclear facility in the second half of 2007, while Western sources, based on satellite imagery, indicate that construction began between 2002 and 2004, with continuous development work since 2006. The existence of the facility was officially acknowledged in 2009, following a joint statement issued by the president. US President Barack Obama, French President Nicolas Sarkozy, and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown all considered the existence of the still-secret facility a violation of the safeguards agreement between Iran and the IAEA at the time. In October 2009, Tehran allowed the IAEA to enter and inspect the facility for the first time publicly and officially. The facility's functions, according to the Iranian government's announcement, are as follows: The facility is concentrated in three main areas: First, the production of uranium hexafluoride enriched to 5% from uranium-235, and the presence of 16 cascades of centrifuges. Second, its continued use for research and development activities, alongside enrichment operations. Third, the resumption of uranium hexafluoride production enriched to 5% and 20% from uranium-235. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) was notified of the closure of the research and development unit at the facility. Fordow has become a point of agreement between Israel and the United States. Netanyahu stated that closing Fordow would mean ending the current military operations. US President Donald Trump indicated that he is considering options for destroying the Iranian facility. According to the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), there are several ways to destroy it. The center lists five options for destroying the facility: First, the American GBU-57 bomb, which only the United States possesses, and it is believed that the US has only 20 of them. Second: Intensified Israeli strikes using GBU-28 or BLU-109 bombs, which Israel already possesses, but without sufficient penetration capability to reach a depth of 80 meters. Third: Sabotage from within. Fourth: Tactical nuclear weapons capable of reaching the facility. Fifth: Dialogue and diplomacy to reach an agreement to dismantle the facility, as Donald Trump stated. Today, the Fordow uranium enrichment facility has become a central target in any strategy aimed at dismantling the Iranian nuclear program, whether by force or negotiation. Even if the United States' massive bunker-buster bombs were able to penetrate the deepest chambers of Fordow, the United States and Israel would still face greater challenges in eliminating Iran's ability to acquire nuclear weapons. There are no absolute guarantees that Iran cannot proceed secretly with the production of a nuclear bomb. That would put the United States and Israel in the crosshairs of a nuclear Iran instead of solving the problem once and for all.