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The Guardian - US
The Guardian - US
World
Hugo Lowell in Washington

Trump weighs Iran strike as Pentagon officials privately divided over ‘bunker buster’ bombs

A file image from 2023 of a GBU-57 bomb at Whiteman air base in Missouri.
A file image from 2023 of a GBU-57 bomb at Whiteman air base in Missouri. Donald Trump is assessing whether the ordnance would be enough to scupper Iran’s nuclear ambitions at its Fordow site. Photograph: AP

Donald Trump has suggested to defense officials it would make sense for the US to launch strikes against Iran only if the so-called “bunker buster” bomb was guaranteed to destroy the critical uranium enrichment facility at Fordow, according to people familiar with the deliberations.

Trump was told that dropping the GBU-57s, a 13.6-tonne (30,000lb) bomb would effectively eliminate Fordow but he does not appear to be fully convinced, the people said, and has held off authorizing strikes as he also awaits the possibility that the threat of US involvement would lead Iran to talks.

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