'Obliterated'

Donald Trump's word for the week is "obliterated." As in: "completely obliterated."

- ALEX MAGNO

It is unusual for the US President to use words like this one. On a daily basis, his vocabulary is limited to fifth-grade level. As in: "big, beautiful bill" to describe that encompassing piece of legislation that will send the American public debt through the roof.

He found the word "obliterated" moments after US Air Force stealth bombers were dispatched across the globe to drop the dreaded "bunker busters" on Iranian nuclear facilities. These bombs are the most powerful conventional munitions available. They were used to end with finality Iran's ability to fabricate nuclear warheads.

Trump is legendary for his boasting. And his lying. And his utter lack of circumspection.

His declaration that the US bombing run — akin to a drive-by shooting on steroids — was unduly reckless, however. It was a declaration made without waiting for the routine bomb damage assessment. Prudence is too much to expect from Trump.

It now turns out that the bombing of Iran's nuclear facilities was less destructive than Trump painted it to be. The Pentagon arrived at this conclusion after reviewing all the evidence available.

Experts have earlier warned of this possibility. For all their awesome power, the bunker busters could penetrate only 60 feet of solid rock. The Iranian nuclear facility at Fordow was buried under 90 feet of granite. It is imaginable that the core technologies hidden under rock survived the bunker busters intact. The facility was designed to withstand bombardment by nuclear bombs.