Destabilising the world

US strikes on Iran pose threats to global security

- 

Over the weekend, B-2 stealth bombers from the United States (US) Air Force attacked three sites within the Islamic Republic of Iran — all associated with that country's nuclear weapons programme. These installations — in the towns of Fordo, Natanz, and Isfahan — are known to be buried deep underground and thus are not accessible by most munitions. When Israel launched strikes against Iranian targets last week, it was assumed that the buried nuclear sites would survive unscathed. Only the US' "bunker-buster" bombs — officially the GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrators — might have a chance of penetrating the (at least) 60-metre depth at which these facilities were designed. There was considerable speculation as to whether US President Donald Trump would follow up on the persistent requests from Israel to do what their air strikes could not. While he had promised on the campaign trail to not involve the US in any new wars, he had also spoken positively about the outcome of bombing Iran. And he has long stated that the U