Fordow — Iran’s fortified underground nuclear site — lies buried beneath 80 meters of rock, making it one of the most impenetrable military facilities in the world. While the U.S. possesses advanced bunker-busting munitions like the GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator, even these weapons may fall short of neutralizing Fordow entirely.
This has led to theoretical discussions around the use of low-yield tactical nuclear weapons, such as the variable-yield B61-12. Capable of precision strikes and deep-earth penetration, these weapons could, in theory, collapse Fordow’s structure.
However, the geopolitical and humanitarian implications would be catastrophic: widespread radioactive fallout, global condemnation, strategic instability, and the likely ignition of a new nuclear arms race.
While the U.S. has the technical means, the political, moral, and diplomatic costs make such an option nearly unthinkable. For now, the nuclear option remains a last-resort scenario — one that exists more in deterrence theory than in planning reality.
