Here are the latest verified satellite images of the Fordow nuclear site, captured before and after the U.S. airstrike on June 22:
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satellite view shows an overview of the Fordow underground complex, after the US struck the underground nuclear facility, near Qom, here and below. Photograph: Maxar Technologies/Handout via Reuters
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🛰️ What the images reveal
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Distinct craters have appeared on the ridge above Fordow’s underground facilities, replaced by fresh-looking dust and debris — clear signs of heavy bunker-buster impacts (reuters.com).
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Tunnel entrances seem blocked or collapsed, suggesting significant disturbance to access points (businessinsider.com).
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Commercial analysis indicates the use of 14 Massive Ordnance Penetrators delivered by B‑2 stealth bombers, suggesting attempts to obliterate deeply buried centrifuge halls (businessinsider.com).
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Experts like former UN inspector David Albright state:
“They just punched through with these MOPs … the facility is probably toast” (reuters.com).
Context & strategic implications
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The U.S. joined Israel’s campaign with Operation Midnight Hammer, targeting Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan using bunker‑busters and cruise missiles, marking a major escalation in the conflict (businessinsider.com).
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The UN’s nuclear watchdog (IAEA) reported no rise in off‑site radiation, suggesting Iran may have emptied or relocated enriched uranium before the strike (foxnews.com).
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A view shows holes and craters on a ridge at the Fordow underground complex. Photograph: Maxar Technologies/Handout via Reuters Analysts caution that the attack likely delays, rather than destroys, Iran’s nuclear program. Iran might build new covert facilities, and its withdrawal from the Non‑Proliferation Treaty is now a distinct possibility (en.wikipedia.org).
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| A closer satellite view shows the ridge at the Fordow underground complex, here and below. Photograph: Maxar Technologies/Handout via Reuters |
🧭 Summary
| Feature | Result |
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| Structural damage | Severe: craters, dust plumes, blocked tunnels |
| Nuclear material | Likely moved beforehand—no elevated radiation |
| Program impact | Deep sites hit, but program may survive underground |
| Broader risk | Possible Iranian treaty exit, new hidden sites |
In essence, the imagery and expert assessment indicate that while the strike caused substantial structural damage to the Fordow site, the nuclear program may persist. The strategic blow is significant but not necessarily decisive.
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| Maxar Technologies/Handout via Reuters |
Let me know if you'd like to dive deeper into satellite intelligence methods, the other targeted sites, or geopolitical fallout.
