What we know about Fordow, Iran's secretive nuclear site Israel struggles to hit
A recent report indicated that Israel might need US help to hit Fordow, a heavily fortified facility located up to 300 feet underground.
The Fordow nuclear site has emerged as a key flashpoint in Israel’s war with Iran, now in its fifth day. The facility, one of Tehran’s most critical and secretive uranium enrichment sites, is buried deep underground, making it difficult for the Israeli air force to inflict significant damage without US support.
What we know about Fordow
The Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant lies about 20 miles (30 kilometers) northeast of Qom in central Iran. It is one of Iran’s two uranium enrichment centers, the other being Natanz. Buried beneath mountains, Fordow is considered Iran’s most heavily fortified nuclear facility.
Iran declared the existence of Fordow to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in 2009 after Western intelligence exposed the site. Initially, Iran claimed Fordow would only enrich uranium up to 5% — sufficient for nuclear power. In 2011, Iran announced plans to enrich uranium to 20% purity. This was later scaled back to 5% under the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA). Under the JCPOA, Fordow was limited to 1,044 centrifuges for 15 years. The deal unraveled in 2018 when the United States unilaterally withdrew under President Donald Trump.
