Iran Scrambles At Fordow Nuclear Site After US Strike – What Do The New Satellite Images Reveal?
This is the same Fordow site targeted by US stealth bombers during a massive joint air campaign with Israel earlier this month. Israel began the strikes on June 13, hitting both nuclear and military assets inside Iran. The United States joined soon after, deploying B-2s loaded with Massive Ordnance Penetrators. Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan – three pillars of Iran's uranium program – were all hit.
Iran initially dismissed the damage. Officials said the facilities remained intact. But satellite images from Maxar Technologies tell a different story.
In the latest image, a backhoe moves into a tunnel carved into the hillside. Trucks line the damaged perimeter. The entrance gate – once peppered with shrapnel – is now flanked by scaffolding.
Nuclear experts, who reviewed earlier photos taken on June 28, believe Iran may be burying craters or collecting radiological samples. 'Something happened down there,' they said.
US President Donald Trump, meanwhile, has declared victory. Speaking at a campaign stop on June 22, he claimed America had 'obliterated' Iran's nuclear infrastructure. 'Fordow, Natanz, Isfahan – gone. They are in the Stone Age now,' he said.
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei does not agree. In a televised speech on June 26, he mocked the US president's remarks. 'He brags, but nothing was achieved. It is all exaggeration,' he said.
But activity on the ground suggests urgency. One photo shows cranes parked directly over what analysts say could be buried centrifuge halls. Another image reveals new access routes being laid through scorched terrain.
The operation – codenamed 'Midnight Hammer' – involved 125 aircraft, including seven B-2s. Fourteen bunker-busting bombs were used. Each weighs over 14,000 kg.
On June 24, two days after the strikes, Trump announced a ceasefire. Iran denied agreeing to one. But whispers of diplomacy have emerged. Iran's deputy foreign minister said that the United States had sent word via intermediaries, seeking to resume talks. But he warned, 'First, the US must guarantee there will not be more strikes.'
Now, all eyes are back on Fordow. It sits buried under a mountain, reinforced against attacks. Yet in less than an hour, B-2 bombers changed its future. What happens next depends on what survives beneath that rubble and whether Iran digs it back up.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hindustan Times
an hour ago
- Hindustan Times
No fresh hike in tariff over oil, Donald Trump hints
US President Donald Trump appeared to rule out increased tariffs on China for purchasing Russian oil following his summit with Vladimir Putin in Alaska, while also suggesting existing penalties on India may not escalate further, providing relief for countries caught in Washington's pressure campaign against Moscow. US President Donald Trump shakes hand with Russian President Vladimir Putin during their meet at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, Alaska. (REUTERS) Trump indicated that secondary sanctions on major oil buyers were no longer under immediate consideration after his three-hour meeting with the Russian president on Friday. 'Well, because of what happened today, I think I don't have to think about that,' Trump said of tariffs on China and more severe economic punishment for Russia for continuing the war in Ukraine. 'Now, I may have to think about it in two weeks or three weeks or something, but we don't have to think about that right now. I think, you know, the meeting went very well,' Trump added. The comments came despite the summit failing to produce a deal to end the Ukraine war, which has raged since Russia's invasion in February 2022. Prior to the meeting, Trump said 'he (Putin) lost an oil client, so to speak, which is India, which was doing about 40 per cent of the if I did what's called a secondary sanction, or a secondary tariff, it would be very devastating from their standpoint. If I have to do it, I'll do it. Maybe I won't have to do it,' offering hints that could be construed positively in New Delhi. Trump's statement came amid talk that had the Alaska Summit not gone well, India could be hit with a harsher levy. 'We've put secondary tariffs on Indians for buying Russian oil. And I could see, if things don't go well, then sanctions or secondary tariffs could go up,' US treasury secretary Scott Bessent said in a television interview on Wednesday. The US has already imposed tariffs totalling 50% on India, including a 25% penalty for Russian oil purchases that will take effect on August 27, making India one of the most heavily penalised US trading partners. Trump's more conciliatory tone followed his earlier revelation that the India tariffs were designed to pressure Russia by cutting off oil revenue, with the president claiming Moscow 'called and wanted to meet' after losing its second-largest energy customer. India welcomed the Alaska summit between the Russian and American leaders, expressing support for dialogue-based solutions to the Ukraine conflict. 'India welcomes the summit meeting in Alaska between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Their leadership in the pursuit of peace is highly commendable,' the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement released after the summit. 'India appreciates the progress made at the summit. The way forward can only be through dialogue and diplomacy. The world wants to see an early end to the conflict in Ukraine,' it added. Russia currently accounts for more than a third of India's energy purchases, up from less than 1% in 2022 following Western sanctions over the Ukraine invasion. China remains Russia's largest oil customer. India has defended its energy purchases as necessary for economic security, calling US targeting 'unjustified and unreasonable' whilst arguing that Western countries maintain their own trade relationships with Russia. Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke with both Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and Russian President Vladimir Putin this month, offering Indian diplomatic support to aid the peace process in his call with the former. Modi has consistently called for dialogue and diplomacy since the invasion began, making separate visits to Russia and Ukraine last year whilst urging both leaders to return to negotiations. Trump announced following the summit that he would meet Zelensky in Washington on Monday, potentially followed by a trilateral meeting with Putin, as diplomatic efforts to end the conflict continue.
The Hindu
an hour ago
- The Hindu
Chilling past, warm present
On August 15, U.S President Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin concluded a historic summit in Alaska. After friendly greetings and two-and-a-half-hour-long talks at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage, they left without announcing any deal, but claimed to have made progress on many issues. The selection of Alaska as the backdrop for this summit, the first since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, was significant in more than one manner. Alaska was under Russian control for 125 years before being sold to the U.S. in 1867. Alaska is separated from Russia by a distance of 88 km, while the Russian Island of Big Diomede is located just 4 km from the U.S. Little Diomede Island, with the Bering strait separating the two. Also read: Trump-Putin Alaska Summit Highlights Alaska has been populated by Indigenous peoples, including the Athabaskans, Unangan (Aleuts), Inuit, Yupiit (Yupik), Tlingit, and Haida, for centuries. In the early 18th century, Danish explorer Vitus Bering was pressed into service by Russian Tsar Peter the Great to explore the regions to the east of Russia's border. In 1728, Bering sailed through the strait separating the Russian mainland and North America (the strait is now named after him). During his second voyage in 1741, Bering spotted the peak of Mount St. Elias, part of an Alaskan mountain range, from his ship St. Peter. His 'discovery' of Alaska was confirmed later during the voyage of Englishman Captain James Cook, who mapped the area in 1778. Trading outposts Russian traders — the Promyshlenniki — soon set up outposts in Alaska, interested in seal-hunting and otter fur trade. The first Russian colony was set up in 1784 on Kodiak island at Three Saints Bay. In 1799, Tsar Paul I established the Russian American company, and in 1806, their capital was moved from Kodiak to Sitka. The Russians had to contend with opposition from the Alaskan natives, including an armed battle in Sitka in 1804 between Tlingit and Russian forces. British and later American trade interest in the region was also a challenge to the growth of 'Russian America'. Over decades, overexploitation of seals and sea otters in Alaska meant that their populations shrank, gutting profitability for Russian traders. Further, Russia was defeated by the British in the Crimean war (1853-1856). Viewing Alaska as a hard-to-defend territory which was also becoming economically untenable, Tsar Alexander II decided to give it up. Despite British interest, the U.S. emerged triumphant in its bid for Alaska in 1867. Russia sold the parcel of land, measured 665,000 sq. miles, to the U.S for $7.2 million, in a deal brokered by U.S. Secretary of State William Henry Seward. The deal, dubbed as 'Seward's Folly', was widely criticised, since Alaska was viewed as a barren frozen wasteland. The subsequent discovery of natural gas reserves and rare earth minerals, however, changed the public perception. In 1896, gold was found in Yukon and prospectors arrived to seek their fortunes in the Klondike gold fields. In 1959, Alaska officially became the 49th State of the U.S. Traces of its Russian past persist in Alaska till day. Several Orthodox churches, with characteristic ornate decor and onion-shaped domes, dot the region. The Orthodox diocese in Alaska is reportedly the oldest in North America, and it maintains a seminary on Kodiak island, the site of the first Russian settlement. Local dialects, now fast-vanishing, arose from a melange of Russian and local indigenous language, and persisted in regions surrounding Anchorage. Russian, too, is taught in some areas, such as the Kenai peninsula. Alaska is also a strategically important region. Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, the site of Friday's summit, was a forward front of American defence during the Cold War. Given the region's imperial Russian past, it was hardly a surprise that Anchorage was picked as the venue for the Putin-Trump meet — an American town acceptable for the Russians. When Mr. Putin met Mr. Trump on the tarmac of the joint base, he greeted him, saying, 'Good afternoon, dear neighbour.'
India.com
2 hours ago
- India.com
You won't believe what India says about Trump and Putin summit in Alaska, says this about Ukraine
New Delhi: The summit between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin, held in Alaska, ended without any agreement on a ceasefire in Ukraine. However, India welcomed the move. Both leaders held talks for almost three hours and delivered statements after their meeting without taking questions from reporters. There were no clear indications on how the two sides intend to move forward on ending the Russia-Ukraine war. What did India say about the summit? 'India welcomes the summit meeting in Alaska between US President Donald Trump and President Vladimir Putin of Russia. Their leadership in the pursuit of peace is highly commendable,' said external affairs ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal in a brief statement. 'India appreciates the progress made in the summit. The way forward can only be through dialogue and diplomacy. The world wants to see an early end to the conflict in Ukraine,' he said. Volodymyr Zelensky wishes India on its Independence Day Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky wished India on its Independence Day. He posted on X: 'Congratulations to the people of India, President @rashtrapatibhvn, and Prime Minister @narendramodi on the Independence Day! This week we had a good, candid conversation with Prime Minister @narendramodi when I had an opportunity to personally convey my best wishes on this occasion. Our nations share the experience of standing up for freedom and dignity, as well as the pursuit of peace and development. We hope that India will contribute to efforts aimed at ending the war, so that our freedom and sovereignty are truly secure. I am confident that the potential for mutually beneficial Ukraine–India cooperation lies ahead — in science, technology, trade, and culture. Wishing peace and prosperity!' PM Modi responded by posting on X: 'Thank you President Zelenskyy for your warm greetings. I deeply value the joint commitment to forging even closer ties between India and Ukraine. We earnestly wish our friends in Ukraine a future marked by peace, progress and prosperity.'
