G7 warns Iran against escalation as UN sanctions loom

US aircraft dropped two cascades of six GBU-57 “bunker buster” bombs on Fordow’s ventilation shafts on June 22.

A Defense Department official told the Times the bombs likely did not penetrate into the underground centrifuge chambers, and that the plan instead relied on shockwaves, pressure, and fire to disable equipment.

The report stressed that only the Pentagon—with access to classified data and advanced computer simulations—can assess the actual scale of destruction.

Experts offered three main scenarios, depending on the shafts’ design, the surrounding geology, and the reinforcement of the concrete.

If the shafts were built in a straight line, the bombs could have penetrated more deeply, transmitting destructive force downward. But if constructed in zig-zag formations, the underground halls may not lie directly beneath the shafts, shielding them from the blasts.

For the attack to fully succeed, shockwaves would have needed to reach depths of 260 to 360 feet underground.

Shafts, rocks, concrete

Geologists cited by the Times said academic studies suggest the presence of ignimbrite, a rock formation that could have absorbed much of the explosive energy. Another expert said volcanic tuff, if present, would have had a similar shock-absorbing effect.

The report also examined Iran’s use of construction materials, noting that if steel fibers were mixed into the concrete, they would have significantly strengthened the bunkers.

That could have reduced the effectiveness of the bombs, though experts agreed the ventilation shafts were natural weak points in Fordow’s design.

Trump vs. experts

Several experts doubted the strikes amounted to a “complete obliteration.”

One mechanical engineer said if the attack was based on precise geological surveys and ventilation mapping, the damage could still be significant. Another noted that if intense fires followed the blasts, Iran might be left with little recoverable equipment.

Trump, who ordered the operation, has continued to describe the attack in absolute terms.

On Tuesday, he said both he and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu should be considered “war heroes” for their roles.

“We wiped out Iran’s entire nuclear capability overnight,” Trump said. “Iran was four weeks from a nuclear bomb — and we took it out.”

Fada-Hossein Maleki, a member of parliament’s National Security and Foreign Policy Committee, told Didban Iran that “if the Europeans want to activate the snapback mechanism, we will also continue the war with the Zionist regime.”

Maleki argued that such a step would destabilize global and regional equations. “Triggering this mechanism will entangle many players,” he warned.

He also accused Israel of undermining diplomacy by attacking Iran during ongoing nuclear negotiations, saying: “With that aggression, we practically saw the death of diplomacy.”

"Now, the activation of the snapback mechanism would once again mean abandoning diplomacy, and if the Europeans choose this path, this time we will put forward the tools of war and continue the 12-day conflict.”

He added, “The next war will not be one that ends in 12 days, or even one or two months. Dangerous events will inevitably unfold for all countries in the region.”

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Maleki said Iran’s “first step” in response to a European move would be withdrawal from the NPT. “This issue has long been on the agenda of the commission and parliament,” he said.

Britain, France and Germany — the so-called E3 — have warned Iran that unless it returns to nuclear talks by the end of August, they will trigger the mechanism that could reimpose all UN sanctions lifted under the 2015 nuclear deal.

The lawmaker said Iran had now rebuilt its military readiness after the 12-day conflict and was “prepared for offensive operations in case of any new confrontation.”

“Today America and some European countries are seeking to expand unilateralism and impose their views on other nations,” Pezeshkian said, according to Iran’s state news agency IRNA. “This approach has not been and will not be tolerable for you or for us.”

Pezeshkian, who arrived in Belarus on Tuesday night, said Tehran and Minsk enjoyed “broad common ground” not only in bilateral relations but also in regional and international forums, citing the Eurasian Economic Union, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and BRICS as platforms for cooperation.

“Western countries led by America want to force us to move according to their will,” he said. “But Iran and Belarus believe they lack nothing compared with countries that impose sanctions, and that together they can overcome sanctions and difficulties.”

Lukashenko, a close ally of Russia, welcomed Pezeshkian and said: “Belarus is a friendly country and a reliable partner for Iran. You have come to a friend.” He assured his Iranian counterpart that Minsk wanted to expand cooperation and resolve obstacles to existing agreements.

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"In conditions of geopolitical turbulence, Minsk and Tehran are undertaking consistent and balanced steps to further develop cooperation, and are working hard to turn each new challenge into a new opportunity," Belarusian state news agency Belta quoted Lukashenko as saying.

"We are ready to discuss any issues, we have no closed topics," Lukashenko said, adding that the two countries could partner across a range of areas including "military-technical cooperation".

Recalling his own visit to Tehran, Lukashenko said: “I have very good memories from this trip, especially the meeting with the Supreme Leader of Iran. I ask you to convey my best wishes to him. I believe that there are no closed paths before us and we can elevate our relations to the highest levels.”

The two leaders witnessed the signing of 12 cooperation documents in areas including politics, international law, tourism, culture, media, health, pharmaceuticals, industry, environment, free zones, special economic zones and investment, as well as a joint statement.

Pezeshkian also laid a wreath at Minsk’s Victory Square memorial before beginning his official meetings. His trip to Belarus followed a state visit to Armenia earlier this week.

The daily compared the situation to Iran’s missile strike on a US base in Qatar during the June conflict, saying Tehran must make clear that “if threats arise from the soil of neighboring states, security considerations will prevail over diplomacy.”

The article comes after a US-brokered peace deal between Armenia and Azerbaijan earlier in August granted Washington leasing rights to develop the Zangezur transit corridor, now renamed the Trump Route for International Peace and Prosperity (TRIPP).

The deal allows a US company to build and manage the route connecting Azerbaijan with its exclave Nakhchivan, a project Tehran has repeatedly described as a geopolitical risk.

“Nobody cares, but I am too. I sent those planes,” Trump told radio host Mark Levin.

Talks with Tehran under the Trump administration began with a 60-day ultimatum. On the 61st day, June 13, Israel opened a military campaign. Nine days later, US bombers hit three Iranian nuclear sites, which Trump has repeatedly said “obliterated” the country’s program.

“We wiped out Iran’s entire nuclear capability overnight, which they’d have used against Israel in two seconds if they’d had the chance—but we took it out. Iran was four weeks from a nuclear bomb,” Trump said.

Trump also described hosting the pilots behind the Iran strike. “I sent those planes. You know, 22 years. The pilots came, I rewarded them, I brought them all into the Oval Office, the people having to do with that operation, which was so perfect.”

During the intense 12-day conflict in mid-June 2025, Israel’s airstrikes on Iran resulted in over 1,000 Iranian deaths, while Iran’s retaliatory missiles and drones killed 31 Israelis. The conflict also claimed the lives of over 30 senior Iranian commanders and 11 nuclear scientists.