While U.S. President Donald Trump is clearly weighing his options to strike Iran or not, a new wrinkle in his calculus may be emerging.
Those famed bunker-buster bombs, the GBU-57, might not be the magic bullet some experts and the media are making them out to be.
The GBU-57 Bunker-Buster Bomb Might Not Be a Nuclear Program Killer Against Iran
In a new report released by the Center for Strategic and International Studies, commonly known as CSIS, Project Director Heather Williams explains that the much-discussed GBU-57 might not be able to destroy the Iranian nuclear facility at Fordow.
Williams explains that the “GBU-57 has never been used in combat, but has been put through extensive testing; it is believed the United States has approximately 20 of the bombs available.”
She notes that the “bomb was intended to serve as a deterrent to prevent states from relying on hardened and deeply buried targets” and that the “GBU-57 can be dropped with extreme precision, meaning it could hit the same exact target repeatedly.”
The weapon would be dropped from the U.S. Air Force’s B-2 Spirit stealth bomber, now forward deployed in Diego Garcia.
Here is where things get interesting. “Use of the GBU-57 comes with numerous risks,” and “it could fail to completely destroy the [Fordow] facility.”
Williams points out that the “exact details of Fordow remain somewhat of a mystery, and even International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi, who previously visited the site, indicated after Israeli strikes that there may be additional facilities up to a half mile underground.”
What Does This Mean?
To be frank, America would surely drop multiple GBU-57 bombs on Fordow to do as much damage as possible and hopefully take the facility out if Donald Trump gives the order.
So while one bomb might not do the trick, America has options.
Nonetheless, with nothing being certain in this latest crisis with Iran, Washington should think very carefully about its next moves against Tehran.
About the Author: Harry J. Kazianis
Harry J. Kazianis (@Grecianformula) is a national security expert based in Orlando, Florida. Kazianis was Senior Director of National Security Affairs at the Center for the National Interest (CFTNI), a foreign policy think tank founded by Richard Nixon based in Washington, DC . He also served as Executive Editor of its publishing arm, The National Interest. Harry has over a decade of experience in think tanks and national security publishing. His ideas have been published in the NY Times, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, CNN, and many other outlets worldwide. He has held positions at CSIS, the Heritage Foundation, the University of Nottingham, and several other institutions related to national security research and studies.
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doyle
June 19, 2025 at 8:34 am
Use of any kind of bomb against iran by US is a gross violation of international law and against all of today’s accepted norms of national conduct.
But the US has done such terrible things before.
In 1963 to 1973, the US bombed Laos for ten long years, a country that never declared war against the US, never offended the US, and never owed the US anything.
During ww2, the USAAF bombed cities and places that never were at war with the US, never denounced the US and never forsook the US. Places like hong kong, hainan, taiwan and guangzhou.
Perhaps the US looked upon japan as a guiding light or grail. Japan famously bombed many places that had never declared war and had never opposed tokyo.
Anybody with half a brain knows that you can’t prevent a nation from nuclear weapons.
Japan today allegedly possesses zero nuclear weapons but its stockpile of plutonium is among the highest in the world today.
Also, japan has a solid ironclad guarantee under the US nuclear umbrella.
So, should somebody bomb japan now ???
Today, the world lives by the LAW OF THE JUNGLE, with nations like Israel and US representing the law.
D-O-Y-L-E
June 19, 2025 at 9:20 am
(D-O-Y-L-E = Does orange yellah love extinction-level-event.)
BBC reporting that president trump, or the orange yellah man, plans to bomb iran. Soon.
On any day now from today thursday 19 june 2025.
If orange yellah bombs iran, putin must nuclear-bomb the nazis in kyiv.
If orange yellah and his cohort threaten russia, putin must nuclear-bomb Taipei.
That will cause orange yellah to fight xi jinping for control of taiwan and thereby or straightaway ignite ww3 in the western pacific.
That’s truly an extinction-level event, no joke about it.
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TIMOTHY FARLEY
July 3, 2025 at 1:08 pm
Looks like this article was completely wrong.