Fortified And Hidden In A Mountain: Why Iran's Fordow Nuclear Site Is Critical?
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Fordow was publicly revealed in 2009 when then US President Barack Obama, alongside France and UK, accused Iran of secretly constructing the underground facility.
Iran's Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant, located near the holy city of Qom, has once again drawn international attention amid escalating regional tensions between Tehran and Tel Aviv. Built deep into a mountain and heavily fortified, Fordow is one of Iran's most secretive and secure nuclear facilities. Satellite imagery reviewed by experts shows five tunnel entrances burrowed into the mountainside along with a large external support structure and an extensive security perimeter. The site's main operational halls are believed to be located 80 to 90 meters underground- beyond the reach of most conventional aerial bombs.
Fordow was publicly revealed in 2009 when then US President Barack Obama, alongside France and UK, accused Iran of secretly constructing the underground facility. At the time, Barack Obama said the 'size and configuration" of the plant was inconsistent with a peaceful nuclear program.
Construction at the site is believed to have begun in the early 2000s. Western intelligence agencies suggest the facility was initially intended to support Iran's suspected nuclear weapons program by producing highly enriched uranium. Iran, however, maintains that its nuclear program is entirely peaceful.
What Is Iran Doing In Fordow Nuclear Facility?
Under the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), Iran agreed to limit operations at Fordow, removing centrifuges and halting enrichment activities but this changed after the United States withdrew from the agreement in 2018. Since then, Iran has resumed operations and increased uranium enrichment to levels of 60% purity at the site, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
Analysts say the facility's depth and design make it virtually impervious to most forms of aerial attack. According to military experts, even the United States' GBU-57 bunker-busting bombs may not be capable of penetrating the facility's full depth.
Israel has long viewed Fordow as a critical threat but acknowledged that striking the site would likely require American involvement. Israel's ambassador to the US, Yechiel Leiter, said in a recent interview, 'For Fordow to be taken out from the sky, only the United States has that capability."
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Mallika Soni
When not reading, this ex-literature student can be found searching for an answer to the question, "What is the purpose of journalism in society?"
First Published:
June 18, 2025, 18:49 IST
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Time of India
20 minutes ago
- Time of India
Asim Munir to meet Donald Trump at the White House: Lunch date sparks memes, mystery, and a whole lot of buzz
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Remove Ads Fallout in India Internet reaction: Bollywood memes and cringe In a rare high-level engagement, US President Donald Trump hosted Pakistan 's Chief of Army Staff, Field Marshal Asim Munir , at the White House on Wednesday. The meeting took place in the Cabinet Room and was confirmed in the president's daily schedule. This is the first time since 2001, when General Pervez Musharraf met a US president, that a Pakistani military chief has held such talks with an American backdrop is tense. The Middle East is ablaze with conflict between Iran and Israel, and Washington is weighing its military options. Trump's discussion with Munir came as part of efforts to manage escalating regional tensions—and perhaps explore Pakistan's role in told reporters at the White House, 'I love Pakistan,' adding that Munir was 'extremely influential' in stopping recent fighting between India and Pakistan. 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India Gazette
22 minutes ago
- India Gazette
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India Today
30 minutes ago
- India Today
Fact Check: Iran state TV was struck by Israel. But did its anchor say Allah will protect her just before?
Sahar Emami, a news anchor at Iranian state broadcaster IRIB, was delivering the news live on Monday — as she usually did — when her world came crashing down, quite literally. There were loud booms, and the studio appeared to fill with smoke, dust, and debris. An Israeli airstrike had hit the IRIB headquarters in 40, who has been working with Iranian state television since 2008, instantly went viral on social media, with many dubbing her Iran's lioness and a true the viral video of Emani's Farsi broadcast is now being shared with English subtitles that read, 'We will not cower. By truth, we will not turn away. Because we have Allah to protect us! With Allah, no bomb can reach us.' Those sharing this subtitled version of the video pointed out the apparent irony of the studio being struck the moment Emani says Allah would protect her from Israeli bombs. India Today Fact Check, however, found that the subtitles completely mistranslated what she was saying. In the actual video, Emani was saying that the sound being heard in her studio is the sound of aggression against her country and the PROBEUsing keyword search, we found the viral video on the official account of Time magazine. This version of the video had English subtitles which read, 'The sound you heard, it is the sound of aggression against the homeland. The sound of aggression against truth and righteousness. What you observed, the sound you heard, the dusty atmosphere of the studio'. At this exact moment, there was a loud explosion and the anchor strike cuts off Iran's state TV during live broadcast as studio fills with dusthttps:// TIME (@TIME) June 16, 2025advertisementThe Associated Press also reported the same English translation of the video in its description of the proves that the subtitles in the viral video bear no resemblance to what was actually being IRIB headquarters in Tehran's District 3 was attacked by Israel on June 16. The broadcast was cut off for a brief period and resumed later. According to the American non-profit, the Committee to Protect Journalists, one journalist and one other worker were killed in this to Al Jazeera following the attack, Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei called it a 'wicked act' and a war crime. IRIB head Peyman Jebelli said the channel was attacked because the Iranian media was 'precisely targeting the depth of the enemy's media strategy'.Tune InMust Watch Want to send us something for verification? Please share it on our at 73 7000 7000 You can also send us an email at factcheck@
