Iran's Fordow facility ultimate test of Israeli airpower: FT
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The Financial Times has described Iran's Fordow nuclear facility as virtually indestructible and "Israel's" worst nightmare due to its deep underground location, heavy fortification, and critical role in Iran's nuclear program.
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This December 11, 2020, satellite photo by Maxar Technologies shows construction at Iran's Fordow nuclear facility. (AP)
The Financial Times has labeled Iran’s Fordow nuclear facility as “Israel’s worst nightmare,” highlighting the extreme difficulty of destroying the site, even with US support.
Located roughly half a kilometer beneath a mountain south of Qom, Fordow is fortified with advanced air defense systems and heavy security, making any potential strike a formidable challenge. According to the report, the facility exemplifies Iran’s strategy to shield its nuclear infrastructure from foreign attacks.
Built to survive direct strikes, Fordow is designed to protect critical assets such as centrifuges and highly enriched uranium, key components in "nuclear weapons manufacturing."
A crucial part of Iran’s nuclear program
Behnam Ben Taleblu, a researcher at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told the FT, “Fordow is the be-all and end-all of Iran’s nuclear operation. It is the beginning and end of everything in the Iranian nuclear process.”
Danny Citrinowicz, an Iran expert at the Institute for National Security Studies in Tel Aviv, affirmed that "Israel" would not be able to destroy the facility without direct American involvement.
Citrinowicz considered it to be "the most difficult and perhaps the last target" in the Israeli military campaign, as it is the only underground nuclear base directly targeted so far.
“Iran is not yet close to point zero [the destruction of its nuclear programme] . . . They still have considerable capabilities,” he stated.
Virtually bomb-proof
Fordow's geological fortifications are superior to Natanz's, making it immune to conventional airstrikes. The Financial Times noted that it "may even be immune to the American GBU-57 bunker-buster, which is capable of penetrating 60 meters of concrete."
The Iranian Students' News Agency reported that the facility had been recently attacked, but the damage was described as limited.
Natanz’s underground enrichment facility lies about 20 meters below the surface, but what truly sets the Fordow site apart is its exceptional geological fortification.
Its centrifuge halls are buried deep within a mountain, making them nearly impervious to conventional air-delivered bombs, including even the US's Massive Ordnance Penetrator.
Fordow was built in secrecy, and its existence wasn’t revealed until September 2009. US, British, and French officials declassified intelligence showing that Iran had constructed the facility covertly, buried in a mountain in a way that, they argued, was “inconsistent with a peaceful program.”
