US attacks: Effects on Iran's nuclear systems at an overview

War Navy, submarine, marching aircraft and bombs with a weight of 13,600 kilograms-after he initially relied on diplomacy, US President Donald Trump turned to an exceptional military intervention against Iran on Saturday and attacked three key locations of the Iranian nuclear program.

US attacks on Iran's nuclear systems

Trump claimed that the Iranian nuclear facilities had been “erased”, but some Iranian officials played the effects of the attacks - similar to the first Israeli attack on Iran's facilities on June 13. With the appearance of satellite images of the nightly attacks, it can now be assessed which damage the Iranian nuclear program has been added.

Fordow: Iran's most important nuclear power plant

The Fordow facility is Iran's most important nuclear enrichment center, hidden deep in a mountain to protect it from attacks. The main halls are estimated to be 80 to 90 meters underground. Analysts have long said that only the United States has the necessary bomb to penetrate deeply-the massive GBU-57 with a weight of 13,600 kilograms.

A US representative announced that the United States used six B-2 bombers to drop 12 of these "bunker breakers" bombs on the site. An analysis of the satellite images by CNN showed that the US attacks left at least six large crater on the Fordow site, which indicates the use of bunker bombs.

damage and reactions

The pictures taken by Maxar show six separate impact crater in two nearby places in Fordow. Rafael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Organization (IAEA), informed CNN that there was a "direct kinetic influence" on Fordow, but it was too early to make a statement about the presence of internal damage at the underground location. "Of course you cannot rule out the possibility that considerable damage was incurred there," said Grossi.

DAVID Albright, President of the Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS), commented on the satellite images and indicated that "a considerable amount of damage to the enrichment system and the adjacent halls that support the accumulation could have been caused." According to Albright, a complete destruction of the underground hall is quite possible, but the assessment of the damage would take time.

Natanz: The largest enrichment center Irans

Natanz is the location of Iran's largest nuclear enrichment center and was already targeted in the course of Israel's first attack on Iran on June 13th. The facility has six above -ground buildings and three underground structures that accommodate centrifuges - a crucial technology for uranium enrichment. The unearthly plants were damaged in Israel's original attack, and the IAEA reported damage to the electrical infrastructure of the plant.

Although it remains unclear whether the Israeli attack caused direct damage to the underground facilities, the IAEA found that the power failure in the underground cascade space "may have damaged the centrifuges there." The United States also attacked Natanz in its operation on Saturday evening. A US representative stated that a B-2 bomber had thrown two bunker bombs on the site.

Isfahan: Center of Nuclear Research

Isfahan, located in the central Iran, houses the country's largest nuclear research location. The facility was built with the support of China and opened in 1984, according to the non -governmental organization Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI). Around 3,000 scientists are employed in Isfahan and the facility is considered the "suspicious center" of the Iranian nuclear program.

albright reported, the first reports indicated that the United States also attacked tunnel complexes near the ISFahan location, "where you typically stored uranium." If this is confirmed, it would show that the United States tried to destroy Iran's stocks to 20 % and 60 % enriched uranium. Weaponable uranium is enriched to 90 %.

CNN could not independently verify the reports on attacks on tunnel complexes near the Isfahan location. At a press conference of the Pentagon on Sunday, General Dan Caine, chairman of the United U.S.