Illustrative image. (U.S. Army)
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on February 8 revealed that unexploded bombs are still present at nuclear facilities attacked by the United States last year.
In statements carried by Iran’s Young Journalists Club news agency, Araghchi said he asked International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi whether there was any law or specific protocol governing visits to nuclear facilities targeted by the U.S.
“No, there is nothing of that sort,” Grossi replied, as mentioned by Araghchi.
The top diplomat added he informed Grossi of the need to establish a protocol prior to any visits, “given existing security issues, including the presence of unexploded bombs and other matters that need to be agreed upon.”
He said inspections should take place only after reaching an agreement on these issues, noting that “Iran remains in contact with the agency in this regard.”
The U.S. attacked Fordow Uranium Enrichment Plant, the Natanz Nuclear Facility, and the Isfahan Nuclear Technology Center on June 22 of last year, the 10th day of the 12-day Israeli war on Iran.
The attack, codenamed “Operation Midnight Hammer,” saw B-2 Spirit stealth strategic bombers dropping GBU-57 series Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) bombs on the facilities, which were also targeted with around 30 BGM-109 Tomahawk Land Attack Missile which were launched from a cruise missile nuclear submarine, believed to be the Ohio-class USS Georgia.
Araghchi’s latest remarks, which came a major escalation by the U.S., indicate that at least some of the MOPs used in the attack failed, which means that Iran could, or may have already recovered one of these bombs.
The MOP is 6,2 meters long and weighs 14 tons. Its explosive component is a bomb of the BLU-127 series, whose modular design accommodates improvements and upgrades.
One variant of the BLU-127 bomb body contains 2,082 kg of AFX-757 and 341 kg of PBXN-114, a polymer-bonded explosive (PBX), for a total explosive payload of 2,423 kg. The PBX is optimized for controlled detonation in confined spaces.
The bomb’s casing is made from high-density Eglin steel alloy, engineered to survive the extreme stresses of deep penetration before detonation.
Attached to the BLU-127’s tail, is a KMU-612 tail-kit which contains a GPS-aided inertial navigation system guidance package, as well as control surfaces to maintain trajectory and allow for mid-course adjustments.
The GBU-57 has grid fins which can fold for storage in a B-2’s bomb bays and offer greater control at high speeds. Grid fins have higher drag than planar fins, and so are usually smaller.
Detonation timing is managed by the Large Penetrator Smart Fuze (LPSF), which adjusts the moment of explosion based on impact depth and the characteristics of the underground structure.
While many military analysts speculated that Iran could copy the MOP, this is highly unlikely as the Islamic Republic has no means to deliver such a heavy bomb even to U.S. bases located right next to its borders in Iraq, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain or the United Arab Emirates.
Iran could, however, learn much, technology-wise, from studying the bomb. It could also transfer the bombs to some of its allies who could actually copy it and field it, like Russia and China. Both countries operate bombers.
After Iran managed to capture a U.S. secretive RQ-170 Sentinel stealth reconnaissance drone in 2007, Iranian officials indicated that Russia and China were highly interested in studying the aircraft. Later reports, some from as recent as 2022, suggest that this may have happened.
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syria gone, venezuela gone, iran going………
“russkiy mir” is getting smaller by the day 😆
🥱🥱🥱😪😴
diaper change or douche bags refresh for you ramses narrative.
ukraine is getting smaller by the day….
will the last little black hat turn off the lights on the way out of banderastan. sorry. forgot. vlad has already done that. hope merz is happy with all those millions of ukies milking his welfare.
of course he is ranses. that’s the idea its harvesting natural resources you twit. just because you see from a gutters viewpoint doesn’t mean that’s how the elite landowners landlords industrialists employers food sellers service providers healthscare and miseducation see it grow up you moron. free educated trained humans are worth hundreds of thousands of dollars to them. each.
like some people brain s.
southern ukraine was khazaria empire, so you want khazarian rule over slavic people again?
i think they already do. in ukraine, without doubt. but its something strange with russias root causes also, which dont include the entity, which have started the war, and are behind all those bases around the world. very, very strange.
you and your rubbish khazarian mafia crap. you’re all as ridiculous as their new bs on social media about the land of the giant s from tartaria building the western world as we know it.
don’t be ridiculous now ramses. rhetorical
more bs the d usual from you ramses your narrative using your plethora of names
massive ordnance penetrator could not penetrate?
sounds like the desperate shills here @ sf.
its almost as funny as 9/11 😂 cant wait to see how the parasites shall glue it together in the end. maybe it was a virgin mountain ?
just ask george who sat on his little stool reading fairy stories to tiny tots throughout anericas most historic event since the war of independence. how many times has any president even done that???? go and read a story to little kiddies.??? hnmm
they had to dig them up from the mountain then ? 😂
us taxpayers funding dud weapons. for tiny hat dreams
reverse engineer a couple of these. drop one on joo central and one on the white house when chumpo is there bloviating.
well thanks to the bush obama era presidencies american taxpayers have been funding their enemies globally for decades legally and thanks to their failures, even more so illegally. thanks to infiltration and corruption of two faced deceivers in high places.
death to all joo whores and lackeys and wailing wall huggers. especially chumpo, graham and rubio.
no one elsè ìn thè wòrld neèds the mòp. thè usa creàted thìs weapon back in 2010 to specìfically targèt ìran underground facilitìes. thìs shows how badly they want to bring ìran to its kneès & take control of it’s resources.
wàr wìth iran is comìng no matter what, there are no concessìons iran can offèr to usraèl that it will accept other than complete surrènder of iràn.
sèll cryptò bùy gòld
nice new names ramses narrative. you’ve done well on this story today how many different names here today, 5 of is it 6?
f o s no name
hehehe the us mistake is saying noone can copy the tech. hehhehe such limited thinking by the neanderthal nation military led by an orangutan that it cant be copied and adapted and be used by other nations. most of the usa tech comes from skill and knowledge of immigrants and foreigners.
oh you’re tragic one minute americas the enemy of your freedum as democratic the next its made up of immigrants globally bringing their ideas there. . you’re an idiot and you’re insulting to anyone who isn’t. imo
drop on netanyahu