American officials told the New York Times that the underground nuclear facility at Mount Machush is carved deeper than the Fordow plant, beyond the penetration range of the US's most powerful conventional bombs. According to the report, Iran is convinced the deeper halls are safe from airstrikes but fears a US commando raid, and has reinforced ground forces at the site.
American officials told the New York Times on Friday that the underground nuclear facility at Mount Machush is carved far deeper into the mountain than the Fordow plant, placing it beyond the penetration range of the United States' most powerful conventional bombs. The assessment, based on intelligence gleaned from the earlier strike on Fordow, has led Iranian officials to believe the facility's deepest halls are safe from airstrikes. However, the officials said Iran fears a US ground commando raid and has reinforced its ground forces at the site to prepare for such a scenario.
The Zioneer has previously reported on Mount Machush as a focal point in the US-Iran confrontation. On July 14, an analysis described the facility as more fortified than Fordow, and on July 23, Israeli intelligence assessed that Iran had transferred thousands of centrifuges for uranium enrichment to the site. Earlier reports indicated that the US was considering heavy bomber strikes on the facility, and that the Israeli defense establishment had been placed on high alert.
The new report underscores the challenge facing US military planners in neutralizing Iran's most hardened nuclear site. While conventional bombs may not be sufficient, the Iranian fear of a commando raid suggests that ground operations remain a viable option. The US has not publicly commented on the specific vulnerability of the facility.
4 developments
- StrongAnalysis: Iran's Mount Makush nuclear facility deeper than Fordow, US reportedly plans phased strike on access routes
- StrongSatellite imagery reveals construction activity at Iran's secret underground nuclear facility near Natanz
- StrongIsraeli Intelligence: Iran Moved Thousands of Centrifuges to Mount Machush Underground Facility
- StrongThe Zioneer: Mount Machush — a secret nuclear site inspectors never visited, one of the hardest aerial targets
Source and signal
- Open-source intake