# Could the US destroy Israel's nuclear weapons capability? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 22, 2025, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-the-us-destroy-israels-nuclear-weapons-capability/1019979 "2025-06-22T13:50:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![DemonTree](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/demontree/32/8646_2.png) [@DemonTree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DemonTree)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2025, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-the-us-destroy-israels-nuclear-weapons-capability/1019979/1 "2025-06-22T13:50:05Z")
This thread made me wonder whether Israel’s nuclear capability could be destroyed similarly to Iran’s: > [@Only a bunker buster bomb can bust Iran's Fordo nuclear complex. Really?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/only-a-bunker-buster-bomb-can-bust-irans-fordo-nuclear-complex-really/1019792): > > The US has a 30,000 pound bomb named the [GBU-57 A/B Massive Ordnance Penetrator](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GBU-57A/B_MOP), one or several of which are suppose to be able to destroy Iran’s Fordo nuclear enrichment facility, located under maybe 80 meters of rock and soil. Reports vary. The facility allegedly has 4 entrances. Could a military engineer explain to me why transforming the 4 doorways to rubble wouldn’t solve the problem? I understand that nuclear enrichment requires workers and workers need to go to and from the job site. Or … Obviously Iran couldn’t do it, and it’s different because Israel is thought to already have operational nuclear weapons. But I doubt any weapons they have would be able to reach the USA, so a counterattack is not necessarily a problem. In some made up scenario where the US wanted to do this, would they be able to? ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2025, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-the-us-destroy-israels-nuclear-weapons-capability/1019979/2 "2025-06-22T14:06:27Z")
If the US knows where they are, I’m sure they could. I’m not sure even the Russians or Chinese could stop a B2 bomber. If the US knows their location, they aren’t publicizing that info. But I’d assume they do. The US is certainly spying on all of its allies, and vice versa. ---
**Author:** ![dolphinboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dolphinboy/32/330_2.png) [@dolphinboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dolphinboy)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2025, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-the-us-destroy-israels-nuclear-weapons-capability/1019979/3 "2025-06-22T14:20:01Z")
AFAIK, Israel has never tested its alleged nuclear weapons, so how do they know they will work? Unless they had the US, France, or the UK do it for them of course. ---
**Author:** ![Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/elmer_j.fudd/32/1211_2.png) [@Elmer\_J.Fudd](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elmer_J.Fudd)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2025, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-the-us-destroy-israels-nuclear-weapons-capability/1019979/4 "2025-06-22T14:26:20Z")
Just in terms of places available to hide them, Israel is at a huge disadvantage compared to Iran (75 times larger) or even compared to North Korea (6 times larger). ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2025, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-the-us-destroy-israels-nuclear-weapons-capability/1019979/5 "2025-06-22T14:32:56Z")
Googling, Israel has diesel submarines, which supposedly can be equipped with nuclear weapons. My guess is they might be harder to hit than land-based weapons, particularly if they set to sea when they expect to be attacked. ---
**Author:** ![gnoitall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/bb73d2/32.png) [@gnoitall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gnoitall)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2025, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-the-us-destroy-israels-nuclear-weapons-capability/1019979/6 "2025-06-22T14:43:35Z")
> [@dolphinboy](#): > > Israel has never tested its alleged nuclear weapons Maybe they didn’t. Maybe they did. > **[Vela incident](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vela_incident)** > > The Vela incident was an unidentified double flash of light detected by an American Vela Hotel satellite on 22 September 1979 near the South African territory of Prince Edward Islands in the Indian Ocean, roughly midway between Africa and Antarctica. Today, most independent researchers believe that the flash was caused by a nuclear explosion—an undeclared joint nuclear test carried out by South Africa and Israel. > The cause of the flash remains officially unknown, and some information about the... ---
**Author:** ![dolphinboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dolphinboy/32/330_2.png) [@dolphinboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dolphinboy)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2025, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/could-the-us-destroy-israels-nuclear-weapons-capability/1019979/7 "2025-06-22T15:31:59Z")
Thanks gnoitall, I’d forgotten about the Vela Incident. I can remember when it happened.