The Pentagon on Thursday launched an bizarre choice of main points concerning the army’s top-secret bombing of Iran’s nuclear amenities and its protection of an air base in Qatar.
The extraordinary disclosures – together with analysts briefed at secret places, bombs dropped into air flow shafts, and a small team of younger provider individuals left in the back of at a base to shoot down Iranian missiles – is being orchestrated via a White Space offended over questions concerning the effectiveness of the U.S. strike, which focused 3 Iranian nuclear objectives on June 21.
Trump insists Iran’s nuclear program has been “obliterated,” whilst an early army intelligence review stated the strike would possibly best have set again Iran’s program via “months.” Army officers say they want a lot more time to evaluate the wear.
Here is what we’ve got realized:
There used to be a 15-year, top-secret venture to determine how you can spoil Iran’s Fordo nuclear facility
In 2009, a U.S. officer running for the Protection Risk Aid Company used to be introduced right into a vault at an undisclosed location and proven extremely labeled pictures of a building website online within the Iranian mountains, in step with Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Body of workers.
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Body of workers Air Drive Gen. Dan Caine seems right through a information convention on the Pentagon on June 26, 2025 in Arlington, Virginia.
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Caine stated the officer and any other colleague would cross directly to spend 15 years learning the website online. They analyzed the elements and the geology of the mountain, along side any pieces discarded from the website online. They eyed air flow shafts, electric methods and environmental keep an eye on methods too, he stated.
“Each and every corner, each crater, each piece of apparatus getting in and each piece of apparatus going out — they actually dreamed about this goal at evening after they slept,” Caine stated.
When the analysts discovered they didn’t have a weapon to strike Fordo if wanted, Caine stated they teamed up with trade in a top-secret effort to construct the Huge Ordnance Penetrator, or GBU-57, in particular to hit it.
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Body of workers Air Drive Gen. Dan Caine turns to look at a video of a bombing take a look at of the GBU-57A/B Huge Ordnance Penetrator used within the assault at the Iranian Fordow Gas Enrichment Plant right through a information convention on the Pentagon, June 26, 2025, in Arlington, Virginia.
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“Then, on an afternoon in June of 2025, greater than 15 years once they began their existence’s paintings, the telephone rang and the president of america ordered the B-2 pressure” to strike the objective, Caine stated.
One in every of them later instructed Caine, “I will’t even get my head round this.”
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Body of workers Air Drive Gen. Dan Caine turns to look at a video of a bombing take a look at of the GBU-57A/B Huge Ordnance Penetrator used within the assault at the Iranian Fordow Gas Enrichment Plant right through a information convention on the Pentagon, June 26, 2025, in Arlington, Virginia.
Andrew Harnik/Getty Photographs
12 bombs have been dropped down two air flow shafts capped with concrete
In a bid to protect the moves as a success, each Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Protection Secretary Pete Hegseth in contemporary days have publicly disclosed that 12 of the 14 Huge Ordnance Penetrators used within the June 21 strike have been dropped at the nuclear facility at Fordo.
On the briefing on Thursday, Caine went additional, describing that six bunker-buster bombs have been dropped down every of the 2 air flow shafts with fuses programmed to detonate at particular occasions.
Caine stated the Iranians had lined the air flow shafts with concrete caps, however the first bomb blew off the caps. After that, the following 4 bombs have been programmed to drop greater than 1,000 ft in step with 2nd and “explode within the venture area.” The general bomb used to be designated as a “flex weapon,” or backup, he stated.
“All six guns at every vent, at Fordow went precisely the place they have been supposed to head,” Caine stated, including that the outcome used to be “a mixture of overpressure and blast ripping during the open tunnels and destroying crucial {hardware}.”
Caine stated the fighter pilots who trailed the B-2 bombers stated that when the primary bomb struck the objective “the pilots said, quote, this used to be the brightest explosion that I have ever observed. It actually gave the impression of sunlight.”
A poster of the Fordow Gas Enrichment Plant is displayed as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Body of workers Air Drive Gen. Dan Caine and Protection Secretary Pete Hegseth grasp a information convention on the Pentagon, June 26, 2025 in Arlington, Virginia.
Andrew Harnik/Getty Photographs
DIA says Fordo broken, however questions stay on have an effect on to Iran’s nuclear program
About an afternoon after the assault, the Protection Intelligence Company produced an early review estimating Iran’s nuclear program used to be set again via “months.”
Consistent with the 2 folks aware of the labeled document, the bombing sealed off the entrances to 2 of the 3 nuclear websites focused within the assault however that many of the harm used to be accomplished to buildings above flooring, leaving the decrease buildings intact. The review additionally discovered that no less than some enriched uranium remained – in all probability moved from the nuclear websites forward of the blasts.
President Donald Trump insists the enriched uranium wasn’t moved upfront.
Hegseth, visibly offended that main points of the document had leaked, stated “new intelligence” estimates the Iran program has been knocked again via “years,” no longer months, and he learn from the labeled review to newshounds.
“It issues out that it is not been coordinated with the intelligence group in any respect,” stated Hegseth, including that the document used to be categorised “low self assurance.”
Protection Secretary Pete Hegseth speaks right through a information convention on the Pentagon, June 26, 2025 in Arlington, Virginia.
Andrew Harnik/Getty Photographs
A few dozen provider individuals of their 20s defended a U.S. airbase in Qatar.
Two days after the strike, U.S. officers were given phrase that Iran used to be making plans to release a retaliatory assault on an American air base in Qatar referred to as al-Udeid.
Consistent with Caine, officers temporarily evacuated the bottom in a part of lengthen the safety perimeter, leaving in the back of two Patriot missile batteries and a few 44 squaddies.
Of the troops left to protect the bottom, the oldest used to be a 28-year-old captain.
Caine stated the gang listened to “chatter” of the approaching assault within the oppressive warmth and have been instructed to make sure their missile batteries have been pointed north. Iran started launching short- and medium-range missiles, prompting the warriors to unharness “spherical after spherical” of Patriot missiles from their canisters.
Caine referred to as the operation the “greatest unmarried Patriot engagement in U.S. army historical past,” noting the Qataris aided within the protection.
“I am not going to inform you what number of rounds have been shot,” Caine stated, noting the quantity used to be labeled. “However it used to be a number.”
ABC Information’ Chris Boccia contributed to this document.
