Washington (TDI): The United States chose not to use bunker-busting bombs on Iran’s very deep nuclear site in Isfahan during last weekend’s strikes, as military officials believed such weapons would be ineffective against the facility’s extreme depth, according to CNN.
The explanation came during a closed-door briefing to US senators, where Gen. Dan Caine, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, addressed the issue for the first time. The CNN reported that the decision not to deploy the Massive Ordnance Penetrator, a bomb designed to destroy fortified underground targets, was due to concerns that it wouldn’t reach Isfahan’s most critical sections.
US intelligence believes the site houses roughly 60 percent of Iran’s stockpile of enriched uranium, material that would be essential if Tehran attempted to build a nuclear weapon.
While B-2 bombers reportedly dropped multiple bunker-buster bombs on Iran’s Fordow and Natanz facilities, the strike on Isfahan involved Tomahawk missiles launched from a submarine. The missiles were aimed at above-ground infrastructure rather than the deeply buried components of the facility.
The classified Senate briefing also featured Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and CIA Director John Ratcliffe.
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Senator Chris Murphy, a Democrat, told the network after the briefing, “Some of Iran’s capabilities are so far underground that we can never reach them. They’ve moved key assets into places where even our most advanced weapons can’t touch them.”
Separately, President Donald Trump raised tensions further on Friday, threatening renewed airstrikes if Iran resumes enriching uranium to weapons-grade levels. Speaking at a press conference, Trump didn’t hold back: “Sure. Without question. Absolutely,” he said when asked whether the US might strike again.
He also made an unexpected claim that he had personally blocked plans to assassinate Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei during recent hostilities. In a post on his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump wrote, “I knew EXACTLY where he was sheltered… I SAVED HIM FROM A VERY UGLY AND IGNOMINIOUS DEATH.”
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Trump claimed he had been ready to lift sanctions on Iran before changing his mind after Khamenei delivered what he called a “defiant” speech.
In response, Iran rejected Trump’s statements, especially his suggestion that new negotiations were in the works. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on state television, “I would like to state clearly that no agreement, arrangement or conversation has been made to start new negotiations.”
Farkhund Yousafzai is an Associate Editor at The Diplomatic Insight.
