United States is ready to use bunker buster bomb against Iran nuclear facilities 0903121.

Defense News - United States

Speaking at the conference on the U.S. defense programs, Carlisle said that the bomb was "a great weapon," specially designed to attack countries like Iran which have their nuclear facilities buried underground.

A 13,600kg bunker buster bomb designed to smash through some 200 feet of concrete before exploding is a "great weapon" that could be used by US forces in a clash with Iran over its nuclear program, an Air Force general said.

Lieutenant General Herbert Carlisle, Air Force deputy chief of staff for operations, said the massive ordnance penetrator, which the military began receiving only last year, is part of the US arsenal available for strikes against countries like Iran, which has some buried nuclear facilities.

Iran’s ongoing development of its nuclear program has sparked calls for military strikes from the United States and Israel prompting diplomatic means of solving the nuclear dispute were running out.

In an interview with National Journal, the U.S. Defense Secretary, Leon Panetta said on Thursday that the United States would make more progress than Israel in case of a strike against Iran.

"If they [Israel] decided to do it there's no question that it would have an impact, but I think it's also clear that if the United States did it we would have a hell of a bigger impact," Panetta said.

Western powers and Israel suspect Iran of seeking to build nuclear weapons. Iran denies this, saying its program is of a civilian nature