Bunker-busting bomb: Why Israel needs Donald Trump to take out Iran’s nukes – Explained
As tensions between Israel and Iran escalate into open conflict, pressure is mounting on President Donald Trump to intervene militarily, particularly with one powerful weapon only the US possesses: the GBU-57 bunker-busting bomb. Israel’s inability to destroy Iran’s heavily fortified nuclear sites has intensified calls for American firepower, despite Trump’s insistence on avoiding another Middle East war.Over the weekend, unnamed US officials told various US media that Trump had rejected an Israeli plan to assassinate Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei, suggesting ongoing coordination between the allies. “Have the Iranians killed an American yet? No. Until they do, we’re not even talking about going after the political leadership,” one official reportedly told Reuters.Trump, however, issued a stark warning: “If we are attacked in any way, shape, or form by Iran, the full strength and might of the US Armed Forces will come down on you at levels never seen before.”Despite these threats, both CNN and the BBC confirm that Trump remains deeply reluctant to initiate direct strikes. He fears such a move would not only derail diplomatic efforts but also risk embroiling the US in an open-ended war without a clear exit, exactly the sort of entanglement his “America First” doctrine seeks to avoid.
Israel wants the GBU-57 – but only the US can use it
The immediate problem is technical: Israel’s air force, despite its sophistication, lacks the capability to destroy Iran’s underground nuclear site at Fordow. As per CNN and the BBC, only the US’s GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator, designed to blast through 200 feet of reinforced concrete, stands a real chance of doing the job.The Israeli operation, codenamed “Operation Rising Lion” has already taken out key nuclear scientists and military officials. But its ability to neutralise Iran’s nuclear infrastructure remains in doubt. Former Vice President Mike Pence declared that if Israel’s campaign fails to secure concessions from Tehran, “then the United States should be prepared to join the conflict.”
Distance between allies?
Meanwhile, BBC reports indicate Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has privately claimed the attacks were “fully coordinated” with the US, even as Trump publicly distances Washington from offensive involvement.
Netanyahu’s real goal — whether he says so openly or not, and he has come close — is degrading the Iranian state so thoroughly that the assault hastens the fall of the Islamic republic.
An op-ed in the Washington Post
With missile fire still raging between Israel and Iran, Trump has warned residents of Tehran to “immediately evacuate,” even as he left the G7 summit in Canada to return to Washington. Iran has responded with waves of missile attacks, and while Trump has refrained from committing US troops to Israeli operations, officials now point to a decisive military option that could tip the balance: the Massive Ordnance Penetrator, or GBU-57.“If this ends with Fordo still enriching, then it’s not a strategic gain,” said Brett McGurk, a former US national security adviser, referring to the underground Iranian nuclear facility that has long been a key concern for the West.
What is the GBU-57?
The GBU-57A/B Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) is the US military’s most powerful non-nuclear bunker-busting bomb. Weighing 30,000 pounds, it is specifically designed to destroy deeply buried and fortified nuclear facilities, like Iran’s Fordo site.
- Only B-2 stealth bombers are capable of carrying the MOP.
- It is GPS-guided for precise targeting.
- The bomb’s casing is forged from a high-strength steel alloy to ensure it can penetrate hardened structures before detonation.
This makes the MOP uniquely suited to strike targets buried deep within mountains — sites inaccessible to other conventional weapons and beyond the reach of Israel’s arsenal.
Israel-Iran conflict
What has the US government said about it?
A 2012 classified report from the Pentagon’s Director of Operational Test and Evaluation (DOT&E) concluded that the MOP is capable of effectively targeting hardened underground facilities:Between 2008 and 2012, extensive testing included:
- Two sled tests at Holloman Air Force Base to validate weapon re-design.
- Five live B-2 bomber drops on representative targets at White Sands Missile Range.
- Three of these drops involved live warheads, with all tests confirming target destruction.
The report assessed that after redesign improvements, the weapon system met operational expectations.
Why it matters now
With Israel’s arsenal lacking both the MOP and the B-2 aircraft required to deliver it, the US remains the only country capable of deploying this weapon. If diplomatic efforts collapse and Iran continues enriching uranium at Fordo, Trump retains the option of ordering a strike using the GBU-57.
