CNN found out why the US did not bomb one of the Iranian facilities

US refused to strike key nuclear facility in Isfahan with a super-powerful bomb

The American military command decided not to use the GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) bunker buster bomb against one of Iran's most important nuclear facilities in Isfahan. The reason is the excessive depth of the facility's location, which would have made the attack ineffective, even with such powerful weaponry.

According to CNN, this information was revealed by Air Force Lieutenant General Dan Kane, head of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, during a closed briefing for congressmen on June 26. Key administration figures were also present at the meeting: Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and CIA Director John Ratcliffe.

The Isfahan Nuclear Research Center is Iran's largest complex, located southeast of the city of Isfahan. It includes three Chinese-made research reactors. According to US intelligence and the IAEA, significant stockpiles of enriched uranium were previously stored in the center's underground facilities.

During a night operation on June 22, American forces struck ground facilities in the Isfahan area with Tomahawk cruise missiles launched from a submarine. Simultaneously, nuclear facilities in Fordow and Natanz were bombed — more than ten MOP bombs were dropped on them from B-2 strategic bombers.