In a rare display of military transparency, the White House on Thursday released classified test footage of bunker-buster bombs used in its airstrikes on Iran’s underground nuclear facility at Fordo. The move came in response to mounting scepticism surrounding President Donald Trump’s assertion that the targets had been “obliterated”.
The footage was published online with a combative remark from Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, “Because of the hatred of this press... your people are trying to leak & spin that it wasn't successful. It's irresponsible.”
The White House’s release comes in response to critics, who, after several intelligence and international reports, had called into question the extent of damage inflicted by the strikes carried out on 22 June.
Trump’s ‘obliterated’ claim under scrutiny
Questions were raised after the US Defence Intelligence Agency reported “significant” but not total destruction at Fordo, Natanz, and Isfahan — Iran’s three critical nuclear sites. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) also cited “extensive damage” but refrained from confirming the full extent of devastation.
Nonetheless, both US and Israeli officials insist the strikes have set Iran’s nuclear programme back by “many years”.
General Dan “Razin” Caine, who oversaw the operation, sought to dispel doubts. “I have chills… talking about this,” he said, detailing the mission’s precision. “Each crew was able to confirm detonation as they saw the bombs drop from the aircraft in front of them.”
Bunker-busters and battle planning
Twelve bombs struck Fordo, with six advanced bunker-busters targeting the facility’s key underground ventilation shafts. The bombs were designed to delay detonation until they reached deep-enrichment chambers, generating a shockwave that would destroy the nuclear infrastructure through connected tunnels.
According to General Caine, seven B-2 stealth bombers were deployed, each carrying two bombs. Concrete barriers laid by Iranian crews over Fordo’s ventilation systems were destroyed by initial strikes, followed by four bombs dropped into the central shaft at velocities exceeding 1,000 feet per second. A sixth acted as a backup.
Also read: Israel-Iran conflict over, says Trump
Caine described the operation as the culmination of more than a decade of strategic planning. “We had so many PhDs working on the mock programme—doing modelling and simulation, that we were quietly and secretly the biggest users of supercomputer hours within the United States of America,” he said.
The same day, two more bombs were used to strike Iran’s Natanz facility. Pilots described the resulting explosion as “blinding” and “like daylight”, further confirming the detonation success.
Conflicting assessments
Adding to the confusion, satellite images taken three days prior to the attack showed trucks and bulldozers at the Fordo site, prompting speculation that Iran may have moved key assets out in advance. When asked about this, Hegseth told Reuters, “I’m not aware of any intelligence that I’ve reviewed that says things were not where they were supposed to be, moved or otherwise.”
Still, observers note that the IAEA’s assessments are ongoing and subject to revision, and that the true strategic effect of the strike may take weeks to fully evaluate.
Follow us
