Fordo Strike: Limited Surface Damage, Uncertain Effectiveness
Iran’s Fordo nuclear site, following the recent strike, appears severely damaged, though not utterly destroyed. The visible surface damage, or rather the lack thereof, isn’t a reliable indicator of the attack’s effectiveness. Fordo’s deep underground location, built into a mountain and hardened against attack, makes surface observations misleading. The objective wasn’t necessarily to obliterate visible structures, but to collapse tunnels, cripple enrichment equipment, and render the facility structurally unusable. Imagine the immense challenge of excavating that damage—a herculean task for Iran, especially given its limited air defenses.
The extent of the damage makes the facility unusable for years, effectively amounting to destruction.… Continue reading
Matt Underwood