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Speculation intensified Tuesday over possible U.S. involvement in Israeli strikes on Iranian uranium enrichment facilities.
Israel has already conducted a series of strikes against Iran’s nuclear enrichment facilities since war broke out last week, but it may need U.S. support to neutralize the Islamic Republic’s most hardened sites.
Iran’s Fordo enrichment facility has remained a major target for Israeli forces. The site is heavily defended, buried more than 260 feet below a mountain near the city of Qom, and is central to Iran’s nuclear program. The facility is protected by an extensive array of Russian-built missile defense systems and external defenses meant to defend against infiltration.
According to reports, the only surefire way for Israel to disable Iran’s facilities at Fordo would be with “bunker buster” bombs, which can penetrate at least 200 feet before exploding. Only U.S.-made B-2 bombers are currently capable of carrying the 30,000-pound precision-guided bombs.
Reports suggest that at least two GBU 57/B bombs dropped in succession would be needed to destroy Fordo. U.S. bombers would also need air superiority over Iran, a task that could strain Israeli forces as the war continues.
The U.S. used B-2 bombers earlier this year to successfully target underground Houthi weapons facilities in Yemen.
President Trump left the G7 Summit in Canada early on Monday to focus on the Iran-Israel war and met with his national security team in the Situation Room on Tuesday afternoon to make decisions regarding U.S. involvement in the conflict.
Following the meeting, the U.S. deployed additional fighter jets to the Middle East. According to reports, the U.S. Air Force will deploy advanced F-16s, F-22s and F-35s fighter jets in a purely defensive operation, noting the planes will be used to intercept missiles and drones.
Mr. Trump previously said his administration was not seeking a ceasefire but a “real end” to the conflict. On Truth Social Tuesday, Mr. Trump called for Iran’s unconditional surrender, asserted that the U.S. had complete control over Iranian airspace and called for the evacuation of Tehran.
Vice President J.D. Vance fired off a lengthy post in support of the president on Thursday, praising Mr. Trump for his “remarkable restraint.” Mr. Vance added that he would support the president if he decided that further action is needed.
Israeli journalist Barak Ravid reported Saturday that Mr. Trump told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the U.S. would assist Israel in destroying the Fordo site. However, Mr. Ravid said the White House had denied agreeing to assist in Israel’s strikes.
According to reports, the Israeli Defense Force has already laid out plans to attack Fordo, with or without U.S. support. While the Israeli Air Force lacks bunker-busting bombs, its supply of smaller, 2,000 and 5,000-pound bombs could deal serious damage to the site’s defenses.
SEE ALSO: State Department warns Americans not to travel to Israel amid the war
Israeli officials expect to neutralize all of Iran’s other nuclear enrichment facilities by the end of the week. Israeli strikes have also killed several Iranian nuclear scientists, which could set back Iran’s atomic ambitions. Iranian state media reported on Sunday that Israel detonated five car bombs in Tehran that killed several nuclear scientists.
“Through repeated attacks and the assassination campaign, Israel may be able to significantly set back Iran’s nuclear ambitions,” The Center for Strategic and International Studies wrote in a Friday report. “Israel has a track record of bold, innovative operations, including cyberattacks, assassinations, and deception campaigns, and should not be underestimated.”
Additionally, Israel has launched strikes on Iran’s Natanz enrichment facility, which is also underground, but it remains unclear whether Israel’s ballistic missile strikes have neutralized the facility. The International Atomic Energy Agency said the attacks have led to increased nuclear contamination of the site.
It is unclear whether Israel has conducted extensive strikes on Fordo. Israeli officials have asserted that they have not conducted strikes on the facility, while Iranian sources claim the opposite.
Experts suggest that if Israel is unable to successfully destroy Iran’s facilities at Fordo and Natanz, the Islamic Republic should be able to rebuild its enrichment program.
“Counterproliferation strikes can increase drivers of proliferation,” the CSIS report reads. “ If key sites like Fordow and Esfahan are not severely damaged in future strikes and underground advanced centrifuges remain operational at Fordow and Natanz, Iran could continue its nuclear development.”
On Monday, U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth ordered the deployment of “additional capabilities to U.S. Central Command in the Middle East. The secretary said the order was made to ensure security in the region.
Speculation over increased U.S. involvement in the war comes as the conflict enters its fifth day. Israel launched what it called preemptive attacks on Iran last Thursday, decimating several Iranian enrichment sites and killing several high-ranking military officials.
Israel launched its offensive amid ongoing nuclear negotiations between the U.S. and Iran. Those talks sought to limit, if not eliminate, Iran’s enrichment capabilities, with another round of negotiations scheduled for Sunday. The Sunday talks were cancelled amid Israeli and Iranian strikes.
The negotiations were already under extreme pressure after a U.N. nuclear watchdog group found last week that Iran was not complying with its nuclear nonproliferation obligations for the first time in 20 years.
• Vaughn Cockayne can be reached at vcockayne@washingtontimes.com.
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