Bombing Nuclear Sites

Post Date: 2025-06-28
Original Post: LinkedIn

I hope I have connections that are experts on physics.

https://www.wired.com/story/iran-fordow-nuclear-site-satellite-images-damage/

This wired article describes the attack on Iran's Fordow nuclear site. Large bombs were dropped on the ventilator shafts. The way the article is written, it sounds like both the US government and the writers of the wired article believe that it is possible to destroy uranium with a bomb. However, my understanding is that it is not possible to destroy uranium unless it is converted to another element as part of a nuclear reaction. If you tried to blow it up, you would instead just scatter it around. Can anyone confirm if I am correct?

If I am correct, it seems pretty scary that the US government bombed the ventilator shafts, which seems to me like it could open them and cause the nuclear material to be released. Iran claims to have removed all of the nuclear material before the site was bombed, so it might not be a problem, but it is still pretty scary I think.

This line from the article makes it seem like the uranium was expected to be bombed directly:

"There’s also the possibility that Iran was able to move nuclear material out of the facility before the attack, limiting the bombing’s usefulness."