Tensions between Iran and Israel have escalated sharply in recent weeks. As fears of open conflict grow, global attention has turned to Iran’s most secure and secretive nuclear site the Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant.
This underground facility plays a key role in Iran’s uranium enrichment program. It has become central to the nuclear standoff between Tehran and the West.
Israel Strikes Fordow, But Damage Remains Unknown
Israel launched airstrikes targeting several nuclear sites in Iran, including Fordow. However, it is still unclear whether those strikes caused any actual damage.
Because of its deep, fortified location, even direct attacks may not affect the site. Despite this, experts warn that Fordow remains dangerous because of its ability to enrich uranium to near-weapons-grade levels.
Fordow: A Nuclear Bunker Beneath the Mountains
Fordow is located 30 kilometers northeast of Qom, in northern Iran. It sits deep inside a mountain, making it hard to detect and harder to destroy. The site originally served as a military base for Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Iran publicly acknowledged the facility in 2009, but only after Western intelligence had already exposed it.
Inspectors Find Uranium Near Weapons Grade
In early 2023, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) made a surprise inspection at Fordow. They discovered uranium enriched to 83.7% purity, just below the 90% required for a nuclear weapon.“At the Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant, we found particles of high enriched uranium with enrichment levels well beyond the enrichment level declared by Iran,” IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi, March 2023. This raised global alarm. It suggested that Iran might be enriching uranium beyond the limits allowed under previous international agreements.
IAEA Sees No Damage After Israeli Attack
Following Israel’s airstrikes, IAEA inspectors visited the site again. On Monday, Grossi confirmed that Fordow had not been damaged, nor had the nearby Khondab heavy water reactor. “No damage has been seen at the site of the Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant or at the Khondab heavy water reactor,” Rafael Grossi, IAEA Director General
Iran Resumes Enrichment After U.S. Left the Nuclear Deal
In 2015, Iran agreed to limit its nuclear activity under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). But in 2018, the United States withdrew from the deal under President Donald Trump.
After that, Iran restarted enrichment at Fordow. The site was originally set to become a non-nuclear research facility. However, Iran reactivated its centrifuges and ramped up uranium production.
In 2023, the IAEA reported that Iran had configured centrifuges at Fordow to enrich uranium up to 60% purity—much higher than the 3% to 5% typically used for civilian energy.
Still, Iranian officials insisted that safety was not at risk. “All nuclear material is in a safe place,” Commander Mohsen Rezaei, to the Daily Mail
Can Israel Destroy Fordow Alone? Unlikely
Military experts agree: Israel likely lacks the firepower to destroy Fordow. The facility is protected by rock and concrete and was built to survive air attacks.
Only the United States has a bomb that might break through the Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP). This 30,000-pound bunker buster is designed to reach deep underground. Without American military support, most analysts say Israel cannot fully eliminate the Fordow site.
Trump Warns About Iran’s Nuclear Threat
Former U.S. President Donald Trump, who ended U.S. involvement in the nuclear deal, weighed in on the issue. He said he does not want war but made it clear he views Iran’s nuclear progress as a serious risk. “I’m not looking to fight. But if it’s a choice between fighting and having a nuclear weapon, you have to do what you have to do. I may do it. I may not do it.” Donald Trump
Fordow at the Center of a Global Standoff
Fordow is not just another nuclear site. It represents Iran’s resistance to Western pressure, Israel’s urgent security concerns, and the fragile state of nuclear diplomacy in the Middle East.
As the crisis deepens, all eyes remain on how Iran, Israel, and the U.S. will respond—and whether diplomacy can still prevent a dangerous conflict.