The U.S. military's strike on Fordo, Isfahan and Natanz nuclear sites in Iran has raised urgent questions about what remains of Tehran's nuclear programme and how its weakened military might respond.
The decision to directly involve the U.S. comes after more than a week of strikes by Israel on Iran that have moved to systematically eradicate the country's air defences and offensive missile capabilities, while damaging its nuclear enrichment facilities.
Violence, destruction could reach 'unthinkable levels' if diplomacy fails: IAEA chief
U.S. and Israeli officials have said that American stealth bombers and a 30,000-pound (13,600-kg) bunker buster bomb they alone can carry offered the best chance of destroying heavily fortified sites connected to the Iranian nuclear programme buried deep underground.
“At this time, no one, including the International Atomic Energy Agency, is in a position to assess the underground damage at Fordo,” said U.N. nuclear chief Rafael Grossi.
