Could US use 'bunker buster bomb' on Tehran's nuclear facilities amid Israel-Iran war? Has it ever been used in a war before?

As Israel and Iran enter the sixth day of war after Israel's Operation Rising Lion, there has been widespread attention on American "bunker buster bombs". These bombs can destroy deeply buried and heavily fortified targets.

Israel has been targeting Iran's nuclear facilities as it intensified the attack. However, Iran's Fordow facility cannot be easily attacked as it is built inside a mountain and is a heavily guarded complex.

GBU-57 A/B Massive Ordnance Penetrator bombs are designed to penetrate deep below the surface before exploding.

Can US use them on Iran nuclear facility?

Only the US possesses both the GBU-57 and the B-2 Spirit stealth bomber, which is the only aircraft capable of carrying the bomb.

The B-2 stealth bomber is based at Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri. The US has been tested carrying two GBU-57 bombs, which together make up a 60,000-pound payload.

Hypothetically, a mission to Iran would take around 15 hours, that too depending on the flight path and aerial refuelling logistics.

Israel lacks both this specific munition and the required delivery platform. However, it has the military expertise and aerial capabilities to conduct such strikes.

But, if the US intervenes and provides this bomb, it would call for a serious escalation, which might put Washington into a wider conflict.

Notably, US President Donald Trump has raised support for Israel's operations against Iran and has also been warning Iran, saying it cannot have nuclear weapons.

What are bunker-buster bombs?

The weapon is the Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP), a bomb six metres in length and weighing 13.6 tonnes, whose dense casings enable it to remain unharmed while it goes through rock and concrete before detonating deep inside underground.

Roughly, it is a 30000-pound precision-guided bomb and is guided to attack deeply buried and hardened bunkers and tunnels, according to the US Air Force.

The bomb is believed to be able to penetrate about 200 feet below the surface before exploding and these bombs can be dropped one after another, which can effectively drill deeper and deeper with successive blasts.

Has it ever been used in war?

The development of GBU-57 started in 2004 and has been successfully tested later. But, it has never been used in an actual combat mission.

Former US Marine Corps Colonel and defence analyst Steve Ganyard said that the bomb is intended for large-scale destruction.

“It wouldn’t be a massive blast," he said. “It would penetrate the ground and shoot up some debris, but it won’t be a massive cloud."

He added that the weapon was built for strategic deterrence and not everyday battlefield use. And, because of that, its stockpile is relatively small.