CNN releases details of US strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities

The US has conducted a large-scale military strike targeting critical infrastructure tied to Iran’s nuclear programme, using B-2 stealth bombers and Tomahawk cruise missiles in a coordinated operation.

Six US Air Force B-2 bombers executed precision airstrikes by dropping twelve "bunker busters" — on Iran’s heavily fortified underground nuclear facility in Fordow, Caliber.Az reports, citing CNN. 

These munitions, each weighing approximately 13.6 tons and containing 2.7 tons of high explosives, are specifically designed to penetrate deep into reinforced underground targets, including facilities linked to weapons of mass destruction.

US President Donald Trump has confirmed that B-2 Spirit stealth bombers were deployed in recent strikes targeting Iran’s nuclear infrastructure. Regarded as the US Air Force’s premier strategic bomber, the B-2 features a distinctive flying-wing design and is built from advanced composite materials with specialized coatings that allow it to penetrate heavily defended airspace undetected. 

According to the Air Force, the aircraft is capable of delivering overwhelming firepower swiftly and globally, even against the most secure targets. Powered by four engines and operated by a two-person crew, the B-2 can carry up to 40,000 pounds of nuclear or conventional weapons. With aerial refueling, it effectively has unlimited range. The B-2 made its debut flight in 1989 and entered combat a decade later during NATO’s Operation Allied Force in Kosovo. In that mission, B-2s flew nonstop from Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri to strike Serbian targets.

The aircraft were also used in extended-range missions during Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan in October 2001. In more recent years, B-2s have operated from the joint US-UK base on Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean, striking Houthi targets in Yemen. Today, only 20 B-2 bombers remain in the US Air Force fleet, all stationed at Whiteman Air Force Base. Each aircraft carries a price tag of approximately $2 billion.

By Naila Huseynova