Wetin be di powerful US bomb wey fit destroy wia Iran hide dia nuclear bombs?

Among di weapons wey fit strike Iran underground nuclear sites, e get one wey dem neva use — and wey dey out of Israel hands for now: di GBU-57A/B Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP), na di world largest non-nuclear "bunker buster" bomb, and na only di United States get am.

Dis precision-guided, 30,000-pound (13,600 kg) weapon fit potentially penetrate Iran underground nuclear fuel enrichment Fordo complex, wey dem bury deep inside one mountain.

So far, US neva give Israel access to di MOP.

But wetin be dis weapon, wetin be di challenges — and dem fit use am?

According to di US government, di GBU-57A/B na one "large penetrating weapon wey get di ability to attack deeply buried and hardened bunkers and tunnels."

At six metres in length, believe dey say e fit penetrate approximately 200 feet (61 metres) below di surface bifor e explode. Dem fit drop plenty bombs back to back, e go drill deeper wit each blast.

Na Boeing manufacture am, dem neva use MOP for any war but dem don test am for di White Sands Missile Range, one US military testing area for di state of New Mexico.

E dey more powerful pass di Massive Ordnance Air Blast (MOAB), one 21,600 pounds (9,800 kg) weapon wey dey known as di "Mother of All Bombs," wey dem use for one combat for Afghanistan for 2017.

"Di US Air Force put considerable effort to devise weapons wey get broadly similar size to di MOAB, but wit di explosive charge wey dey inside one extremely hard metal case. Di result na di GBU-57A/B Massive Ordnance Penetrator," Paul Rogers, emeritus professor of Peace Studies for di University of Bradford for UK tok.

Currently, only di US B-2 Spirit — wey also dey known as di stealth bomber — dey configured and programmed to deliver di MOP. Dis plane, wey dey often referred to as di B-2, dey produced by Northrop Grumman and na one of di most advanced warplanes for di US Air Force arsenal.

According to di manufacturer, di B-2 fit carry a payload of 40,000 pounds (18,000 kg). However, di US Air Force say dem don successfully test di B-2 as e carry two GBU-57A/B bunker busters — wey be a total weight of around 60,000 pounds (27,200 kg).

Dis long-range heavy bomber plane get range of about 7,000 miles (11,000 kilometres) without refuelling, and up to 11,500 miles (18,500 kilometres) wit one in-flight refuelling — wey enable am to reach nearly any point for di world within hours, according to Northrop Grumman.

Prof Rogers tok say if dem ever use MOP against any enemy wit modern air defences, like Iran, oda aircraft go likely join B-2 bombers. For example, dem fit use F-22 stealth strike aircraft suppress di enemy defences, followed by drones to assess di damage and determine weda further strikes dey needed.

E estimate say US get limited stockpile of these MOP bombs.

"Dem probably get operational stockpile of maybe 10, maybe 20 bombs overall," e say.

Dem go use di MOP bomb against Iran?

Fordo na Iran second nuclear enrichment facility, afta Natanz, e be di main one.

Dem build am inside di side of one mountain near di city of Qom, about 60 miles (95 kilometres) southwest of Tehran. Pipo believe say dem start di construction around 2006, and the facility begin dey work for 2009 — di same year Tehran publicly acknowledge im existence.

Plus say dem bury am inside an estimated 80 meters (260 feet) under rock and soil, Fordo reportedly dey protected by Iranian and Russian surface-to-air missile systems.

For March 2023, di International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) detect uranium particles enriched to 83.7% purity—nearly weapons grade—for di site.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu don tok say di reason why dem dey attack Iran na to eliminate dia missile and nuclear program, wey e describe as "an existential threat to Israel."

Officials don tok say Fordo dey part of dat objective.

"Dis entire operation... go dey complete wit di elimination of Fordo," Yechiel Leiter, Israel ambassador to US, tell Fox News on Friday.

But Israel no get di power to deploy di MOP on dia own, and US no go allow dem use am without direct involvement, Prof Rogers tok.

"Dem certainly no go allow Israelis do am by themselves. And Israel no get penetrators of dis size."

Weda US go deploy dis bomb go depend largely on dia willingness to escalate involvement — particularly under di leadership of US President Donald Trump.

Prof Rogers add say: "E go really depend on weda Trump wan go all out to help di Israelis."

For di G7 meeting for Canada, dem ask Trump wetin e go take for Washington to become involved militarily. E reply:

"I no wan tok about dat."

For inside one recent interview wit ABC News, dem ask Ambassador Leiter about di possibility of US involvement inside attack on Fordo. E tok say Israel only ask di US for defensive help.

"We get a number of contingencies ... wey go enable us to deal wit Fordo," e tok.

Iran don always clear am say dia nuclear program dey very peaceful and dem no ever reason to develop a nuclear weapon.

But last week IAEA 35-nation board of governors formally declare say Iran don breach dia non-proliferation obligations for di first time in 20 years.

'Game-changer'

Despite di recent Israeli airstrikes on Iran nuclear facilities, Prof Rogers tok say im believe say im dey very sure "say Israel no succeed in any way to damage di deeply buried Iranian nuclear facilities."

"Dem go basically need something like di MOP to do wetin dem no fit do themselves."

Kelsey Davenport, director for non-proliferation policy for di US-based Arms Control Association, say "so long as Fordo remain operational, Iran still poses a near-term proliferation risk.

Tehran get di option to ratchet up enrichment to weapons-grade levels for di site or divert uranium to anoda undeclared location."

But even if dem use di MOP, success no dey guaranteed becos nobody sabi di depth and protection of Iranian sites, Prof. Rogers tok.

"Dis particular weapon na still di best bet wey get di capability to damage Iranian nuclear wey dem bury doe deep underground pass any oda weapon in existence for di present time.

But whether e go do am — who know?"