Explainer: How US stealth bombers hit Iran’s deepest bunkers from 13,000km away

US B-2 stealth bombers flew 13,000km from Missouri to Iran, air-refuelled en route, to deploy GBU-57 “Massive Ordnance Penetrator” bombs – the heaviest conventional weapons (13,600kg) in America’s arsenal.

Designed to pierce 60m of concrete/rock before detonating their 2,400kg warheads, these bunker-busters target underground facilities like Fordow’s enrichment plant.

The B-2’s radar-evading stealth allows it to penetrate defended airspace undetected, though each bomber carries just two MOPs due to their size.

With global strike capability in hours, this mission demonstrates the US’s unique capacity to hit hardened nuclear sites that evade Israeli missiles.

The operation highlights escalating technical warfare as Iran deepens its fortified installations.