Satellite images from Vantor show a site long associated with Iran’s nuclear program has been hit. Three very large impact points also increase the likelihood that the hardened facility will be hit by a 30,000-pound GBU-57/B Large Penetrator (MOP) bunker-busting bomb. MOP was first used last year in a U.S. strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities known as Operation Midnight Hammer. In the months leading up to the current conflict, the Talgan 2 site had just been encased in a concrete shell and then covered with soil, which may have required the use of munitions more capable of drilling into it to have a better chance of ensuring its destruction.
Post-impact images of Taleghan 2 taken by Vantor earlier today (see top and below of this article). As mentioned previously, three very large and precise impact points are visible on top of the facility.
Satellite image © 2026 Vantor
Satellite image © 2026 Vantor
Vantor also shared previous images of Taleghan 2 taken on March 6, 2026, and November 14, 2025. Other parts of Parchin suffered apparent attacks on March 6, but Taleghan 2 was not affected at that time.
Taleghan 2 seen on March 6, 2026. Satellite image © 2026 Vantor
Another Taleghan 2 satellite image was taken on November 14, 2025, when the site was encased in concrete and then covered with soil. Satellite image © 2026 Vantor
Provide high-resolution images to the institute via images @VantorTech The solid rocket propellant motor production facility in Parchin was severely damaged. These production plants have been destroyed multiple times, first during Israeli air strikes in October 2024, and then… pic.twitter.com/FfNk6SczGh
— Institute of Science (@TheGoodISIS) March 6, 2026
By mid-January this year, Taleghan 2 had been covered with a new layer of concrete. Soil was also added before the joint U.S.-Israeli operation began on February 28. Iran has been observed taking steps in the run-up to the current conflict to further fortify and/or block many other critical facilities across the country, but not to this extent. TWZ It highlighted similar activity at Iran’s nuclear facilities ahead of last year’s Midnight Hammer attacks.
Over the past two to three weeks, Iran has been busy burying the New Talegan 2 facility at the Parchin military base with earth. Once the concrete sarcophagus surrounding the facility hardened, Iran did not hesitate to move soil over much of the new facility. More soil… pic.twitter.com/LWSrCnDdfy
— Institute of Science (@TheGoodISIS) February 17, 2026
We don’t know what munitions were used in the attack on Talgan 2, but the impact point was at least broadly consistent with what was seen at Iran’s Fordo and Natanz nuclear facilities after Operation Midnight Hammer. During that operation, B-2s dropped 12 GBU-57/Bs on Fordow and two more MOPs on Natanz.
A closer look at the impact sites at Talegan 2 (centre), Fordow (left) and Natanz (right) following Operation Midnight Hammer. Satellite Imagery ©2025 Maxar Technologies / Satellite Imagery ©2026 Vantor
when arriving TWZU.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) declined to comment on whether GBU-57/Bs have been dropped on Talgan 2 or any other site in Iran during the current campaign. The only aircraft currently certified to carry MOP are the B-2 bombers, each capable of carrying two large bombs at a time. B-2 bombers have been attacking Iran since the first night of the conflict.
A B-2 bomber takes part in an attack on Iran. central command
Satellite images show that Talegan 2 is indeed as deep as the underground facilities at Fordo or Natanz. At the same time, it has been very thoroughly and deliberately hardened for attack over the past few months, which may have contributed to the decision to target it with the GBU-57/B. The work was also completed relatively quickly and the site was clearly protected from attack.
A B-2 bomber drops a GBU-57/B MOP during a test. United States Air Force
Other aspects of the goal may also be taken into consideration. During last year’s air raid on Fordow, B-2 bombers dropped six MOPs from each of two ventilation shafts to achieve the desired penetration. These vents provide a weak passage through which bombs can penetrate deeper and reach target rooms deep within the mountain. Although Talegan 2 may be shallower, there does not appear to be any similar entrance clearly visible. The use of 30,000-pound bombs also helped ensure a more complete destruction of this high-priority facility. The decision to require an MOP may also explain why the agreement was not reached previously.
The video below is a montage of images from past GBU-57/B tests released by the U.S. military last year following Operation Midnight Hammer.
It is possible that other ammunition was used to attack Taleghan 2. Smaller cover busters can be thrown continuously onto the same target point to create openings that can then have a significant impact inside. Central Command has previously confirmed that B-2s used salvoes of 2,000-pound bunker-busting bombs to strike deeply buried targets in Iran.
Last night, U.S. B-2 stealth bombers carrying 2,000 pounds of bombs struck Iran’s fortified ballistic missile facilities. No country should doubt the determination of the United States. pic.twitter.com/6JpG73lHYW
— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) March 1, 2026
Strikes against Talgan 2 are otherwise consistent with the U.S. military’s stated core goal of eliminating Iran’s nuclear program. The site is linked to long-standing allegations about Parchin’s nuclear weapons-related work, which Iranian officials have consistently denied. Taleghan 2 is particularly considered a production facility for specialized conventional explosives required for nuclear weapons.
Israel previously attacked Talgan 2 in 2024 and then again on Parchin during last year’s Twelve-Day War. In both incidents, Iran subsequently rebuilt key facilities of the complex.
It remains to be seen whether the latest attack on Taleghan 2, regardless of the munitions used, can completely eliminate it.
Contact the author: joe@twz.com
