UPDATED August 2026
Fordow Nuclear Facility Map
DRAG TO EXPLORE // © CARTO © OPENSTREETMAP
Fordow sits buried inside Mount Mand in Qom Province, roughly 30 kilometers north of the city of Qom and 90 kilometers south of Tehran. The underground complex lies beneath 80 to 90 meters of solid rock and reinforced concrete, surrounded by arid desert terrain and surface security installations.
Why Fordow matters right now
Pentagon briefings confirmed that 6 precision penetrators targeted ventilation vents and tunnel portals, using blast overpressure and shock impulses to shatter centrifuge halls and collapse internal infrastructure.
Intelligence disclosures and satellite monitoring continue to evaluate the full scope of the disruption. While internal shockwaves devastated sensitive centrifuge cascades and collapsed access routes, debate remains over whether enriched materials were relocated prior to the strike and how quickly engineering teams can reconstitute enrichment operations at alternate dispersed locations.
Watch the tactical strike breakdowns while tracking Fordow's underground layout and terrain on the live map
Air Force General breaks down US strike on Iran nuclear bunker: 'Brightest explosion I've ever seen'
Air Force briefings show how 6 bunker buster weapons precisely targeted Fordow ventilation vents to create devastating internal overpressure
Fordow Nuclear Site Destroyed? What the 30,000 lb Bunker Buster Really Did
Analysis details why 30,000-pound MOP bombs target ventilation physics rather than mountain mass and how technical knowledge survives structural damage
BREAKING: Activity at Iran nuclear sites amid deadly explosions
Satellite monitoring tracks surface movements and tunnel portal fortifications across Iranian nuclear infrastructure before major strikes
FAQ
Where is the Fordow nuclear facility located on a map
Fordow is located at coordinates 34.885° N, 50.997° E in north-central Iran. It lies 30 kilometers north of Qom and 90 kilometers south of Tehran, excavated deep into the ridge of Mount Mand.
Why was Fordow built inside a mountain instead of on the surface
Iran dug the facility under 80 to 90 meters of solid rock to protect its uranium centrifuges from conventional airstrikes and cruise missiles. Underground placement shielded the site from standard munitions until specialized precision penetrators were developed to target entrance portals and ventilation shafts.
Can bunker busters destroy the Fordow facility completely
GBU-57 penetrators are engineered to drill through dense rock and detonate inside open chambers rather than creating surface craters. The resulting underground overpressure crushes delicate centrifuge rotors and seals tunnel networks, though it cannot erase the engineering data or personnel expertise required to rebuild.
What is the strategic role of Fordow in Iran's nuclear program
Fordow housed thousands of IR-1 and advanced centrifuges capable of enriching uranium up to 60 percent purity. Its deep underground protection made it Iran's primary hedge against military interdiction, enabling high-purity enrichment closer to weapons-grade levels.
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