The Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant (FFEP), officially called the Shahid Ali Mohammadi Nuclear Facility, was an underground uranium enrichment site located about 30 km north of Qom, Iran, inside a mountain at a former IRGC base[4][7][8]. It housed about 3,000 centrifuges used for uranium enrichment and was considered one of Iran's most fortified nuclear sites[5][7].
Fordow was disclosed to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) only in 2009 after Western intelligence discovered it. It was heavily criticized for the late disclosure and its military implications, as it was designed to be resistant to airstrikes due to its underground location[4][7].
In June 2025, the United States conducted airstrikes on Iran's nuclear facilities, including Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan. The strike on Fordow involved a full payload of bombs dropped by B-2 stealth bombers, targeting the facility's fortified underground site[1][3][6]. This marked a significant escalation in the conflict between the US, Israel, and Iran, with the US acting in support of Israel's efforts to dismantle Iran’s nuclear program[1][2].
Israel had been pressing for swift action against Fordow due to its strategic importance and difficulty to destroy without US bunker-busting bombs. There was speculation about possible Israeli special forces operations or multiple strikes to breach the site, but US involvement was deemed necessary for a high chance of success[2][5].
In summary, Fordow was a deeply buried, heavily fortified Iranian uranium enrichment facility near Qom, targeted and bombed by the US in June 2025 as part of efforts to halt Iran's nuclear program amid escalating regional conflict[1][4][7].
Sources
[1] U.S. strikes Iran's nuclear facilities
https://www.axios.com/2025/06/21/us-strike-iran-nuclear-israel-trump
[2] Israel said pressing for swift action on Iran’s Fordo nuclear site, may act without US
https://www.timesofisrael.com/israel-said-pressing-for-swift-action-on-irans-fordo-nuclear-site-may-act-without-us/
[3] Trump announces US bomb drops in Iranian nuclear sites
https://thehill.com/homenews/5362296-trump-us-bombs-iran/
[4] Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant - Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fordow_Fuel_Enrichment_Plant
[5] Options for Targeting Iran's Fordow Nuclear Facility - CSIS
https://www.csis.org/analysis/options-targeting-irans-fordow-nuclear-facility
[6] Trump says US bombed three Iran nuclear sites, including Fordow
https://www.france24.com/en/middle-east/20250622-trump-says-us-bombed-three-iran-nuclear-sites-including-fordow-usa-israel-war
[7] Fordow nuclear site: What we know about Iran's facility hardened ...
https://www.cnn.com/2025/06/17/middleeast/iran-fordow-nuclear-site-latam-hnk-intl
[8] Fordow Fuel Enrichment Plant - Nuclear Threat Initiative (NTI)
https://www.nti.org/education-center/facilities/fordow-fuel-enrichment-plant/
[9] Iran's Best-Protected Nuclear Site Is Deep Underground
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/06/16/us/politics/iran-nuclear-site-israel.html
[10] Three Nuclear Facilities Including Fordow Bombed | Israel-Iran War ...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5lrHqp2Z5Q