What satellite imagery says about the success of US strikes on Iran

WorldPolitics
23 Jun 2025 • 6:44 PM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

The world’s most free-thinking newspaper

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  • Satellite pictures taken after a US military attack on Iran's nuclear facilities showed new craters and holes but did not provide definitive proof that heavily fortified underground facilities were breached.
  • Donald Trump claimed the nuclear facilities were “completely and totally obliterated” and that the “biggest damage took place far below ground level”.
  • The American military's 'Operation Midnight Hammer' targeted nuclear facilities at Fordo, Natanz, and Isfahan using 'bunker buster' bombs and cruise missiles.
  • Images from Maxar Technologies showed surface damage at Fordo and a 5.5m crater at Natanz, but no conclusive evidence of penetration into the deep underground structures.
  • The International Atomic Energy Agency stated it is not in a position to assess underground damage at Fordo, and analysis suggests Iran may have filled tunnels at the Isfahan site before the strikes.

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