- US struck large ammo depot in Iran's Isfahan using 2,000-pound bunker-buster bombs
- Isfahan hosts key Iranian military bases and uranium enrichment sites bombed in June 2025
- Satellite images show transfer of highly enriched uranium to Isfahan nuclear facility in June
The United States has hit a large ammunition depot in Iran's Isfahan city using 2,000-pound (approx. 907-kilogram) bunker-buster bombs in a major escalation of war in the Middle East. US President Donald Trump posted the video of a massive explosion on his Truth Social platform, which reports claimed was of the American strike conducted outside of the central Iranian city.
The videos show massive fireballs followed by secondary explosions, an occurrence common with ammunition igniting in a blaze. Fire-tracking satellites from NASA suggest the explosions happened near Mount Soffeh, an area believed to have military positions.
So far, Iran has not formally acknowledged the attack.
However, quoting a US official, The Wall Street Journal reported that a "high volume of bunker busters, or penetrator munitions, was used for the strike" at a large ammunition depot, aimed at destroying missiles, rockets and other explosives.
Why Isfahan Was Targeted
Isfahan is a strategic hub that houses Iran's military bases and defence industry. The central city is also home to one of three uranium enrichment sites bombed by the US in the 12-day conflict between Iran and Israel in June. A portion of Iran's highly enriched uranium is believed to be entombed there -- something America has suggested it could seize with ground forces.
A satellite image taken just days before the June 2025 war suggests Tehran transferred a truckload of highly enriched uranium to its nuclear facility at Isfahan. The image from an Airbus Defence and Space Pleiades Neo satellite showed a truck loaded with 18 blue containers going into a tunnel at the Isfahan Nuclear Technology Centre on June 9, 2025.
According to Francois Diaz-Maurin, an analyst with the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists, the truck likely carried 18 secured containers of as much as 534 kilograms (1,177 pounds) of uranium enriched up to 60 per cent purity. That's a short, technical step to weapons-grade levels of 90 per cent.
"This calculation suggests that Iran could have transferred all of its stockpile of highly enriched uranium to Isfahan via the truck seen in the satellite image," Diaz-Maurin wrote in his analysis.
The war began on June 13, 2025. The United States bombed the Isfahan facility along with two other nuclear sites on June 22.
The US could have tried to strike the Iranian nuclear stockpile in the attack. But, so far, there have been no confirmed radiation leaks or contamination in Isfahan from tonight's attack.
US Used Bunker Busters
The US military used its 2,000-pound bunker buster bombs to strike Isfahan. These bombs are specialised weapons built to penetrate hardened targets before exploding and are mostly used to strike underground military installations, reinforced bunkers and nuclear sites.
These bombs are designed with hardened steel casings that allow them to penetrate through layers of soil and concrete and explode only after reaching specific depths.
What makes a 'bunker buster' dangerous is not just the volume of explosives it packs, but also the fact that it can time the explosion to reach targets that other bombs cannot.
US Message With The Strike
The attack came a day after Trump threatened widespread destruction of Iran's energy resources and other vital infrastructure, including nuclear facilities and water plants, if a deal to end the war is not reached "shortly". With the strike, the US seems to be sending the message that it's ready for an escalation of war that has entered its second month and jolted global markets.
But it also heightened fears of Iranian relations, even as Pakistan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Turkey met to seek a diplomatic off-ramp. Iran has already blocked the vital Strait of Hormuz shipping lane-- through which around 20 per cent of the global oil supply passes.
Refusing to back down against US agression, an Iranian parliamentary committee has also voted to impose tolls on vessels in the strait and completely ban ships from the United States and Israel. Market experts warned that any US ground operation or wider Iranian retaliation could send oil prices to levels not seen since the 2008 commodity boom.
