America's big bunker-buster that could sink Iran's nuclear programme
The key weapon that America would bring to a conflict with Iran is its undoubtable ability to smash the country's nuclear centres buried deep below ground.
The US Air Force is the only military to have the GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator that weighs an astonishing 18,600kg and can penetrate up to 100 metres of reinforced concrete. It is as close nearest thing to a nuclear bomb without being one.
The US also has heavy bombers that are virtually the only aircraft that can drop it – the B-2 Spirit and the B-52. There have been reports backed up by satellite photos of six B-2s and four B-52s stationed at the Diego Garcia airbase in the Indian Ocean, 4,000km from Iran.
Washington can also provide a fleet of air-to-air refuelling tankers to assist Israel's fighters, as well as the world's biggest and most advanced air force. But given that the Israeli air force has pummelled Iran's surface-to-air missiles and radar defences, the number of targets is diminishing.
Already there are reports of the main refuellers – the Boeing KC-46A Pegasus and Boeing KC-135 Stratotankers – heading to Europe.
'Istar soak'
But another key feature that America can provide is its extensive military surveillance satellite system that delivers what is called 'Istar soak'.
While Israel has three spy satellites the US has dozens that give it persistent Istar (Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance) coverage that will allow it to track Iranian missile launches as well as senior commanders, regime figures or nuclear scientists. This will enable 'dynamic strikes' in which commanders see a target of opportunity and can bring immediate firepower in.
They will also potentially help track where Iran's enriched uranium stockpiles might be, as well as centrifuges used in their manufacture.
Tomahawk attack
The US has fleet of about eight Arleigh Burke DDG-51 guided-missile destroyers in the region, most guarding the aircraft carrier the USS Carl Vinson. The US Navy warships each carry between eight and 10 Tomahawk cruise missiles.
If it was decided that more Iranian airbases had to be destroyed, Tomahawks would be sent in, much as they were in the scene from Top Gun Maverick.
The USS Nimitz carrier, with its 90 aircraft, is also steaming to the area from the Pacific and will arrive in days.
America can also offer its special forces for strike missions, its intelligence and surveillance aircraft and its military satellites that would vastly increase the information-gathering mission.
There is also the possibility that America will send more of its own air defences to Israel and possibly the Gulf. It has a Thaad high-altitude interceptor battery near Tel Aviv and Patriot missile batteries in the region.
There is also the Central Command based in Doha, Qatar, staffed by high-ranking US and western officers who would be able to co-ordinate all of the offensive operations.
War spreads?
While others have remained apart from the conflict, countries such as Britain could be drawn in if, for example, Tehran was to fire one of its Fatah-1 hypersonic missiles on to the UK's airbase in Cyprus. This would be to cause a political problem and to destabilise the western alliance as the UK would have to choose whether to join Israel in the war, despite being at diplomatic loggerheads over the country's conduct in Gaza.
Similarly, France has a number of military bases in the region that could be attacked and, alongside Britain, warships in the area.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The National
3 hours ago
- The National
Russia warns of 'unpredictable consequences' if Iran-Israel conflict escalates
Russia 's ambassador to the UN said on Tuesday he sees no willingness from Israel to engage in mediation efforts to end its conflict with Iran, warning of 'unpredictable consequences' as hostilities intensify. 'This thing should be stopped, because it has absolutely unpredictable consequences, given that we're talking about nuclear sites that are under threat and given that the ballistic exchange continues with heavy casualties on both sides,' Vasily Nebenzya told reporters in New York. The remarks come as retaliatory attacks between Israel and Iran continue, and as international calls grow for de-escalation. It also comes as President Donald Trump has indicated the US could enter the conflict. Moscow is seeking to be a mediator, but its overtures have yet to translate into concrete talks. 'There was a conversation between President [Vladimir] Putin and President Trump the other day, and President Putin said that we are ready to do what we can to facilitate … so in that sense, yes, we are co-ordinating, but we don't have any mediation efforts on the ground,' he said. Iran provided critical drone support to Russia during the first year of Moscow's war in Ukraine, helped it establish a domestic drone factory, and signed a 20-year strategic partnership in January, deepening defence and political ties between the two allies. Yet months after that agreement, as Iran faces unprecedented Israeli strikes threatening its stability, Russia has offered little beyond diplomatic statements and phone calls, leaving Tehran increasingly isolated. Moscow is walking a tightrope, Iulia-Sabina Joja, a senior fellow at the Middle East Institute, told The National, as it weighs support for Tehran against protecting its broader regional interests amid Iran's declining influence. Any prolonged instability in the Middle East, especially involving Iran, could undermine Russia's delicate balancing act in the region, Ms Joja said. 'Russia has to play now a very difficult balancing game,' she said. 'On the one hand, they want to support Iran but have to be on the winning side in the Middle East to pursue their interests, and Iran is looking weak, with its interests on the losing side across the region, particularly in Syria with the Assad regime and other elements.' At the same time, Moscow's immediate priority remains its war in Ukraine, where it aims to prolong the conflict while stringing along the US with illusory negotiations. 'For them to be able to do that for as long as possible, which is their aim, they have to play nice, or at least pretend to play nice, with the United States,' Ms Joja said. 'That's why we're seeing them take a step back or adopt a more reluctant position than some expected in their partnership with Iran.' If the US joins Israel in striking Iran, Ms Joja said direct Russian intervention is unlikely. 'The US and Israel have the upper hand,' she said of their air superiority. Still, any escalation of the conflict would necessarily make Moscow uncomfortable, as it would jeopardise Russia's goals in Ukraine and its broader Middle East ambitions, including access to warm-water trade routes, she added.
The National
3 hours ago
- The National
Iran and Israel's technology war fuels communications paranoia
Amid the deadly missile strikes exchanged between Israel and Iran in recent days, another battle is taking place involving communications, technology and the control of information that might prove decisive in the conflict. Minutes after the first Israeli strikes last week, Iran's Ministry of Information and Communications Technology imposed "temporary" restrictions on internet access. Officials in the country have insisted that the internet limits would be lifted when the situation returns to normal, yet that does not seem to be any time soon. On Tuesday, Iran took measures further and banned officials from using devices connected to public networks. WhatsApp users in Iran were also dealt a blow when Iranian media warned citizens that Israel may have compromised the app to collect intelligence. Those concerns are not unfounded, given Mossad's role in the deadly Lebanon pager attacks that killed Hezbollah members and officials, as well as civilians. Iran, however, is no stranger to using technology and communications in various battles. It is the home of Mint Sandstorm, a group designated by Microsoft as a cyber crime actor that has been known to cripple computers overseas and hold valuable data in exchange for ransom. US cyber intelligence agencies documented Iran as trying to hack the email accounts of staffers on Donald Trump's presidential campaign. Although the widespread availability of computers and prevalence of high-speed internet connection have made technology and communications more important than ever in war, their use is hardly new. During the Vietnam War, the US use of encrypted radio signals was thought to be a major advantage, but decades later, it was discovered that the North Vietnamese had found a way to read the signals and determine where the US was seeking to strike or to send soldiers. "Since the advent of telecommunications in the early 20th century, there has been a leapfrogging fight between those who can jam and those who can break codes," said Frank Ledwidge, a former British military intelligence officer. Mr Ledwidge said that vigilance and even paranoia about potentially compromised technology can be the difference between victory and defeat. "If you use it, you will be killed, and if you don't, you may have a chance to survive provided that your circle has not been penetrated in in a similar way," he said. Mr Ledwidge said that although Iran knows how to use technology to cause confusion, the country it appears to have little confidence in securing communication networks or encrypting content critical to national security. "The Iranian regime in terms of response to the Israeli technological and air onslaught, they're running out of options," he said. "Israel has freedom of operation in the third dimension, so they can strike anywhere they like." Iranians also lack basic internet access as a result of the country's increased controls. Although Iran does not officially support other ways of connecting to the internet, such as low-earth-orbit satellite services such as Starlink, there is reason to believe that if Iranians have the proper consoles, they could circumvent internet blackouts. "The beams are on," Elon Musk, Starlink chief and tech tycoon, posted on X in response to someone asking if the service was available in Iran. If that is the case, then that could also be a loophole in Iran's attempt to control the flow of information that it considers to be critical to success. Therein lies how complicated computer network and device security can be, even with all hands on deck.
Middle East Eye
3 hours ago
- Middle East Eye
Mahmoud Khalil renews plea for release from Louisiana detention centre, asks to be closer to family
Lawyers for Palestinian Columbia University graduate Mahmoud Khalil wrote to the US district court on Monday asking for him to be immediately released on bail or for him to be transferred to New Jersey. The request came after Khalil, who helped lead pro-Palestinian campus protests at Columbia University last year, was close to being released from detention in Jena, Louisiana, where he has been held since March on allegations that he poses a threat to US foreign policy. Monday's filing notes that Khalil is neither a flight risk nor a danger to anyone and says that his detention - more than 1,300 miles from his family, friends, and legal team in New York - violates an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) policy that says that detained parents should be held 'as close as practicable' to their families. The filing says that the court previously recognised that continued detention, based solely on the sorts of misrepresentations alleged by the government, is exceedingly rare and in retaliation for his advocacy on Palestine. US district court judge Michael Farbiarz, who is overseeing his case, last week ruled it was unconstitutional to detain and deport Khalil, a lawful permanent resident, for supporting Palestinian human rights, and that he should be released from detention. The court gave the government until Friday morning to appeal. New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch Sign up to get the latest insights and analysis on Israel-Palestine, alongside Turkey Unpacked and other MEE newsletters The government then told the court on Friday that it would continue to detain Khalil in Louisiana, saying that Khalil had omitted information on his green card application. While judge Farbiarz acknowledged that the government virtually never detains anyone on such 'misrepresentation' charges, he said he would uphold their appeal, and did not grant Khalil's release. Brett Max Kaufman, senior counsel at the American Civil Liberties Union's Center for Democracy, expressed concern about the government's pretext for detaining Khalil, saying, 'Like it has for the past three months, the government is using all of the tools available to it to hinder justice for Mahmoud. US government cited inaccurate tabloid accounts in its case against Mahmoud Khalil, documents show Read More » 'The government practically never holds people in detention on a charge like this, and it's clear that the government is doing anything they can to punish Mahmoud for his speech about Palestine,' he added. Lawyer Marc Van Der Hout said it was 'another cruel attempt by the government to punish Mahmoud for his protected speech'. 'Detaining someone on a charge like this is highly unusual and, frankly, outrageous.' 'The district court soundly and clearly rejected the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) attempt to deport Mahmoud for speaking out about the genocide in Gaza, and there continues to be no constitutional basis for his detention,' he added. Who is Mahmoud Khalil? Khalil graduated with a master's degree from Columbia's school of international and public affairs in December. He was one of the main negotiators for students during the pro-Palestine campus encampment in the spring of 2024. On 8 March, the Trump administration and DHS arrested and detained Khalil for his advocacy for Palestinian rights at Columbia University. The father-of-one has not been charged with any crime. The government argues that Khalil should be deported on foreign policy grounds. After his arrest, the government added allegations that Khalil lied on his green card application. These claims have been strongly contested by Khalil and his lawyers. Court documents show the US government used inaccurate information published in tabloid newspapers in its case against Khalil to argue that he should be deported. Among the claims cited in the Trump administration's case against Khalil is that he was a "member of Unrwa", the United Nations Palestinian refugee aid agency for which the US suspended all funding for the past year. Khalil filed his green card application in March 2024. His work history shows he was a programme manager in the Syria office of the British embassy in Beirut from June 2018 to December 2022. The US government has insisted that he failed to list his work for the embassy "beyond 2022" and submitted a copy of an online profile of Khalil from the Society for International Development's conference scheduled for June 2025, which identifies him as an embassy employee. Britain's Commonwealth and Development Office told NBC News that Khalil had not worked for the UK government in more than two years, and his employment ended just before Christmas in 2022.
