US strike on Iranian nuclear site follows 15 years of covert planning

In a briefing at the Pentagon, General Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, revealed that the recent U.S. airstrike on a covert Iranian nuclear facility was the culmination of over a decade of meticulous planning, technological innovation, and intelligence cooperation.

Gen. Caine described the operation as “the culmination of 15 years of preparation,” involving collaboration between the Defense Threat Reduction Agency, the U.S. intelligence community, and the defence industry. The Pentagon confirmed that B-2 bombers deployed the first-ever combat use of the 30,000-pound Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP), a weapon designed specifically to destroy fortified underground facilities like Iran’s Fordow nuclear site, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

“Along the way, they realized we did not have a weapon that could adequately strike and kill this target,” Caine said, referencing the challenges encountered during initial assessments. This gap in capability led to the development of the MOP — a “bunker-busting” bomb engineered to penetrate deep into reinforced underground structures.

Caine added that a two-person Pentagon team had been analysing the Fordow site since 2009, examining its geology, structural reinforcements, and other defensive features. Their findings underscored the need for a custom solution: weapons tailored for both physical impact and timing precision.

“The U.S. attack on a covert nuclear facility in Iran was the culmination of years of planning, specialized weapon development and ‘bespokely’ programmed bombs,” Caine told reporters. Each bomb was adjusted with specific impact angles and detonation timers to achieve maximum effect.

According to Caine, the initial strike targeted a concrete cap Iran had placed over the site’s ventilation shaft — a defensive move anticipated by U.S. planners. “The cap was forcibly removed by the first weapon and the main shaft was uncovered,” he explained.

The operation involved 14 MOPs, with the first bomb removing the cap, followed by 11 more targeting the site’s vents. Two additional bombs were held in reserve. “The next 11 bombs fell on each side of the vents, with two bombs reserved in case others did not work,” Caine noted.

The destruction was primarily caused by a combination of overpressure and blast waves. “Ripped” infrastructure and obliterated equipment within the underground facility were the result, Caine said, underscoring the power of the MOP. He also referred reporters to classified footage showing prior underground tests of the bomb. “Imagine what this looks like six times over,” he added grimly.

By Vugar Khalilov