The destruction of underground facilities at Natanz and Fordow may not be possible without US military support and bunker buster bombs
US President Donald Trump said on Friday that it was unclear whether Iran still has a nuclear programme following Israeli strikes, but experts say the damage to the country’s nuclear facilities so far has appeared limited.
Israel’s attacks succeeded in killing Iranian military leaders and nuclear scientists and striking military command and control facilities and air defences, but satellite imagery did not yet show significant damage to nuclear infrastructure, several experts said.
“The first day was aimed at things that you would get through surprise – killing leadership, going after nuclear scientists, air defence systems, the ability to retaliate,” said nuclear expert David Albright at the Institute for Science and International Security.
“We can’t see any visible damage at Fordow or Isfahan. There was damage at Natanz,” said Albright, referring to Iranian nuclear sites. But “there’s no evidence that the underground site was destroyed”.
