Bunker Busting: US Drops 5,000 Pound Bombs on Iranian Missile Sites
US Central Command said the strikes targeted coastal missile infrastructure that posed a direct threat to international shipping in the strategic waterway. “US forces successfully employed multiple 5,000-pound deep penetrator munitions on hardened Iranian missile sites along Iran’s coastline near the Strait of Hormuz."
The United States carried out heavy airstrikes Tuesday on underground Iranian missile sites near the Strait of Hormuz, using 5,000-pound bunker-buster munitions designed to penetrate hardened targets.
US Central Command said the strikes targeted coastal missile infrastructure that posed a direct threat to international shipping in the strategic waterway.
“US forces successfully employed multiple 5,000-pound deep penetrator munitions on hardened Iranian missile sites along Iran’s coastline near the Strait of Hormuz,” the command said in a statement.
According to a US official, the weapons used were GBU-72 Advanced 5K Penetrators, a relatively new class of bunker-busting bombs developed to destroy deeply buried military targets.
The targeted sites reportedly housed anti-ship cruise missiles, part of Iran’s effort to threaten or restrict maritime traffic through the strait.
The strikes come as Iran has effectively shut down shipping through the Strait of Hormuz using a combination of mines, drones and naval activity, disrupting a major share of global energy transport and driving oil prices sharply higher.
US officials said the goal of the operation is to degrade Iran’s ability to enforce the blockade and threaten freedom of navigation.
CENTCOM commander Adm. Brad Cooper said the campaign would continue.
“The United States will continue to rapidly deplete Iran’s ability to threaten freedom of navigation in and around the Strait of Hormuz,” he said.
The strikes are part of the broader US and Israeli military campaign against Iran, now in its third week, which has expanded from air and infrastructure targets to include efforts to secure key regional chokepoints.
At the same time, tensions with allies continue to simmer. President Donald Trump has publicly criticized European partners, including France and the United Kingdom, for refusing to take a more active role in reopening the strait, while also pressing regional partners to contribute to the effort.
The result is a familiar pattern: Washington and Jerusalem doing most of the fighting, while everyone else holds meetings, proposes frameworks, and hopes the shipping lanes magically reopen on their own.