This segment critically examines the U.S. GBU-57 bunker buster bomb, its claimed capabilities, and the real-world limitations in using such weapons against deep, hardened, and potentially cleverly designed Iranian underground facilities.

The Claims:

The GBU-57 (Massive Ordnance Penetrator) weighs 30,000 lbs, with 5,000–6,000 lbs of explosives, designed to penetrate up to 200 feet into reinforced concrete or rock before detonation. The claim is that it can reach and destroy underground facilities such as nuclear enrichment sites.

The Reality:

These claims are likely overstated or misunderstood, especially by political decision-makers misinformed by defense contractors or military briefers.

The bomb must hit very close to or directly above a target, such as a tunnel or chamber, to do meaningful damage.

A blast cavity from the explosion is ~20–30 meters wide.