A Look at the Three US Targets in Iran

When American B-2 bombers struck three nuclear facilities in Iran on Saturday, they went after what the Wall Street Journal describes as the "core of the Iranian nuclear infrastructure." The three:

• Fordo: This one is "Iran's most critical nuclear enrichment facility," per the New York Times. Israel had been bombing the site as well, but because Fordo is built within a mountain, it was thought that only American "bunker busters" could inflict substantive damage. An unnamed US official said the facility has been "taken off the table," but it will take some time to confirm the extent of damage. Fordo has been churning out most of the nation's near-weapons-grade uranium since 2021, notes the Journal.

• Natanz: The facility is Iran's biggest and oldest uranium-enrichment site. However, Natanz is less well fortified than Fordo, and its above-ground facilities sustained damage from the Israeli strikes that preceded the American bombs. Natanz and Fordo account for nearly all of Iran's enriched uranium.
• Isfahan: This facility was believed to have stored near-weapons-grade nuclear fuel, and destruction of those stocks could set back Tehran's nuclear ambitions for years, per the Times. But it's more than a storage site: Work critical to Iran's nuclear program has been conducted there for years, reports the AP. Among other things, the Isfahan facility converts uranium gas into a form needed for weaponry.

(More US strikes Iran stories.)