US Strikes on Fordow Facility to Quicken Iran Going Nuclear?
B2 Bombers dropped Bunker buster bombs at Fordow nuclear facility! (Image X.com)
Experts Warn of US Making Iran More Belligerent for Nuclear Ambitions
By MANISH ANAND
NEW DELHI, JUNE 22, 2025 – The United States’ bombing of Iran’s Fordow nuclear facility, alongside Natanz and Isfahan, has ignited a firestorm of debate over its consequences. Experts warned that the strikes may push Iran closer to pursuing a nuclear weapon rather than deterring it. US President Donald Trump’s decision to deploy B-2 stealth bombers with 30,000-pound “bunker buster” bombs has drawn sharp criticism from the American lawmakers, geopolitical analysts, and former diplomats. They expressed fear that the attack could spiral into a broader Middle East conflict while failing to eliminate Iran’s nuclear capabilities.
In a statement following the strikes, Trump claimed the operation “completely obliterated” Iran’s nuclear program. He asserted it was necessary to prevent Tehran from acquiring a nuclear bomb. However, Scott Ritter, a former UN weapons inspector in Iraq, questioned the intelligence behind the decision, asking, “If Trump isn’t listening to his own national intelligence director (Tulsi Gabbard) when she tells him Iran isn’t pursuing a nuclear bomb, who the hell is he listening to?” Ritter’s remarks echo reports from US intelligence agencies, including a 2023 assessment, stating Iran has not resumed its nuclear weapons program since halting it in 2003.
Iran’s Response and Nuclear Capability
Iranian state television, as reported by Al Jazeera Arabic, claimed that nuclear equipment had been evacuated from all three targeted facilities—Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan—to secure locations prior to the strikes. Shibley Telhami, a professor at the University of Maryland, noted in a post on X, “This suggests Iran anticipated the attack and took preemptive measures to protect its nuclear assets.” The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) confirmed that no radiological consequences were detected at the sites, but the extent of physical damage to Fordow’s underground centrifuges remains unverified.
Iran’s government issued a cryptic response, releasing a video titled “Maybe,” featuring a man standing beside what appears to be a nuclear device. The video, coupled with Iran’s claim of planning a “surprise that people will remember for centuries,” has heightened fears of retaliation. Maleeha Lodhi, former Pakistani ambassador to the US, warned in a post on X, “Iran will know that acquiring a nuclear bomb is the only way to stop attacks.” Citing Libya, Iraq, and Ukraine—nations that abandoned nuclear programs and faced invasions—Lodhi contrasted them with North Korea, which developed nuclear weapons and avoided direct military aggression.
Max Fisher, author and New York Times columnist, dismissed the notion in a post on X that the strikes could eliminate Iran’s nuclear threat. “These are just buildings. You can’t bomb away a technological capability,” Fisher said. “All this does is convince Iran it needs the nuclear deterrent it’s always been capable of acquiring.” Josh Rogin, a US-based columnist, echoed this sentiment, stating, “There is no way to bomb Iran’s nuclear program out of existence. Trump can bomb their facilities and set back their nuclear program, sure. But nuclear technology is 80 years old. Iran’s allies can help them rebuild. Diplomacy and deterrence are the only effective means—or were.”
Can Iran Quickly Acquire a Nuclear Bomb?
Experts are divided on how quickly Iran could develop a nuclear weapon if it chose to pursue one. Dr. Kelsey Davenport, director for nonproliferation policy at the Arms Control Association, explained, “Iran has the technical know-how and enough enriched uranium to produce material for a bomb within weeks, but weaponizing it—building a deliverable device—could take six months to a year.” Iran’s stockpile of 60% enriched uranium, reported by the IAEA to be over 140 kilograms as of early 2025, is sufficient to produce one bomb’s worth of weapons-grade material if further enriched to 90%.
Domestic and Regional Fallout
The strikes have sparked intense backlash in the US House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries accused Trump of misleading Congress about the urgency of the attack, while Senator Tim Kaine called the decision “reckless” and “horrible judgment.” Kaine referenced Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar’s recent claim that Israel’s own strikes had already set Iran’s nuclear program back “at least two or three years,” questioning Trump’s rationale for escalating. “The American public is overwhelmingly opposed to the U.S. waging war on Iran,” Kaine said, vowing to push for a Senate vote on authorizing military action.
Governor Tim Walz of Minnesota, reflecting domestic concerns, announced heightened security measures. “Following the President’s decision to bomb nuclear facilities in Iran, I’ve directed our public safety teams to be on heightened alert for potential threats to Minnesota,” Walz said. “While there’s no known threats at this time, we’ll continue to monitor the situation and respond accordingly.”
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