All about bunker buster bombs ‘Bunker buster’ is a broad term to describe bombs that penetrate deep below the surface before exploding B-2 Spirit stealth bomber: It can carry a payload of 18,000 kg but the US Air Force has has tested a total weight of 27,200 kilograms The roughly 13,600 kilogram precision-guided bomb can attack deeply buried and hardened bunkers and tunnels villupuram l Monday l June 23, 2025 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l city EDITION Iran can have reactors, but can’t enrich uranium: Rubio No reports of radiation from Iran, says IAEA chief 80 injured in Israel as Iran fires volley of missiles Iran will be allowed to operate nuclear power plants but not enrich its own fuel, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Sunday IAEA Director-General Rafael Mariano Grossi said the Iranian regulatory authorities have reported no increase in off-site radiation levels Iran fired a barrage of missiles against Israel, targeting Ben Gurion Airport, and other key targets. According to Israeli media, over 80 were injured TRUMPFIRE ON IRAN Nuclear SITES key sites in iran hit by the U.S. Natanz Israeli attacks had already damaged the country’s largest uranium enrichment center In this case, it refers to the GBU-57 A/B Massive Ordnance Penetrator bomb that US used to bomb Iran’s three key nuclear sites Iran Fordo Bunkerbuster bombs were dropped on Iran's most critical nuclear site A merican strikes I sraeli strikes since June 13 Isfahan Near-bomb-grade nuclear fuel is reportedly stored here U.S. bombs Fordo, Natanz and Isfahan ‘obliterated’ them, claims Trump Iran says ‘a very big red line’ crossed, warns of ‘dangerous consequences’ world leaders call for calm A gen c ies @ Dubai/Washington/Jerusalem AFter waiting on the sidelines for days, the US on Sunday joined Israel’s war against Iran, bombing three of the country’s major nuclear sites using the rarely deployed GBU-57 bunker-buster bombs and the powerful Tomahawk cruise missiles. “Iran’s key nuclear enrichment facilities have been completely and totally obliterated. Iran, the bully of the Middle East, must now make peace,” US President Donald Trump said after the strikes. He said Tehran must now make peace or brace for more attacks. The Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran confirmed that attacks took place on the Fordo and Natanz enrichment facilities as well as the Isfahan nuclear site. Both Iran and the UN nuclear watchdog International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said there were no immediate signs of radioactive contamination around the sites. Iran reacted sharply to the attack, saying the US crossed ‘a very big red line’ and warned that there will be ‘dangerous consequences’ and ‘far- reaching implications’. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian hit out at the US, saying the attack revealed it was the “main factor behind” Israel’s military campaign in the Islamic republic. Vowing to defend itself at all costs, Iran fired another volley of missiles at Israel, injuring scores of people and damaging buildings. “There is no red line that they have not crossed. And the last one, and the most dangerous one, happened only last night. They crossed a very big red line by attacking nuclear facilities,” said Iran’s foreign minister Abbas Araghchi. The foreign minister said he would soon fly to Moscow to hold discussions with Russia. “We enjoy a strategic partnership and we always consult with each other and coordinate our positions,” he said, referring to Russia. If US claims that the nuclear sites have been damaged beyond repair are confirmed, it could mark the end of for Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s ambitious plan to transform the Islamic Republic into a greater regional power that holds enriched nuclear material a step away from weapons-grade. The developments have caused fears of the conflict intensifying and spreading wider. While the Trump administration said it still wanted to resume diplomatic talks with Iran, Tehran said the time for diplomacy had passed and that it would now do the needful to defend itself. Meanwhile, US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said the Trump administration does not seek a regime change in Iran. He said the strikes ordered by Trump overnight had “devastated” Iran’s nuclear programme and urged Iranian leaders to seek peace to avoid further attacks. He also sought to clarify that the strikes did not target Iranian troops or civilians. Global leaders responded to the developments with shock and calls for restraint. The United Nations Security Council scheduled an emergency meeting on Sunday. Egypt warned of ‘grave repercussions’ for the region. Bahrain, home to the US Navy’s Middle East-based Fifth Fleet, called on Iran and the US to ‘quickly resume talks.’ EC mulls door-to-door verification of voters TN awards first contract for 500 MWh storage system m u k es h r an j an @ New Delhi In a major step towards augmenting clean and reliable power supply in Tamil Nadu, a first-of its-kind contract for setting up 500 MWh Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) has been awarded to NLC India Renewables Limited (NIRL). The project awarded by Tamil Nadu Green Energy Corporation Limited (TNGECL) is the first large-scale battery storage system to come up in Tamil Nadu after the state came up with an exclusive policy for energy storage systems. Under the central government’s Viability Gap Funding (VGF) Scheme, 30% of the capital cost for BESS, or `27 crore per MW, whichever is lower, will be provided as financial support. Tamil Nadu is among the six renewable energy-rich states that were allocated BESS capacities under the initiative alongside Gujarat, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Telangana, and Ma- WITH an eye on ensuring greater accuracy in electoral rolls in Bihar where assembly polls are due later this year, the Election Commission on Sunday announced that it was contemplating an intensive house-tohouse verification during the revision of the voter list in the state. Official sources said the move is aimed at freeing the electoral rolls of errors, if any . Officials pointed out that concerns have been raised by various civil society organisations, political parties and others persistently over the inclusion or deletion of names in the electoral rolls. Several parties, including the Congress, have accused the poll authority of fudging data to help the BJP . A source said, “The ECI has repeatedly emphasized that it is committed to ensuring that only genuine and eligible citizens are enrolled in the electoral rolls.” Regular exercise of revision of electoral rolls is undertaken annually throughout the country by ECI and also before an election or bypoll, he said. The provisions regarding eligibility to be registered as a voter and disqualification are clearly laid down in Article 326 of the Constitution and Section 16 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, the source said. S G U R U V A N M I K A N ATH A N power points @ Chennai Total Capacity 250 MW/500 MWh (two full charging/ discharging cycles per day) harashtra. Officials said the battery system will help store surplus solar and wind energy , which are seasonal energy sources, and supply the power generated when needed, especially during night hours or cloudy days. The award comprises development of three standalone BESS projects with a combined capacity of 250 MW / 500 MWh, to be established at 400/230/110 kV Ottapidaram Substation, 400/230/110 kV Annpankulam Substation and 400/230/110 kV Kayathar Substation in Tamil Nadu. P5 Model BuildOwnOperate Tenure 12 years Usage “On-demand usage” by the state discom, enhancing flexibility in grid operations Technology Advanced battery energy storage for promoting grid reliability and renewable integration express read Man kills 5-yr-old for resisting sexual assault attempt, held Pawan Kalyan slams ‘fake secularists’ at Murugan meet CHENNAI: A 22-year-old man from Assam was arrested for allegedly murdering a 5-year-old boy who resisted his attempts to sexually assault him. Police found the body in a secluded spot in Sriperumbudur at Kancheepuram, based on the accused Bhol Dev’s confession. The child is the son of migrant workers from Bihar | P2 MADURAI: Speaking at the ‘Muruga Bhakthargal Maanadu’ in Madurai on Sunday, Andhra Pradesh Deputy CM Pawan Kalyan slammed “fake secularists” for targeting the Hindu faith in the name of freedom of expression. The conference organised by the Hindu Munnani was attended by AIADMK and BJP leaders | P4 TN’s cattle sport sees bull run, 50% jump from ’24 B A N B U S E LV A N @ Chennai Tamil Nadu seems to be embracing cattle sport like never before as the number of bovinesporting events, including Jallikattu and racing, jumped by 50% between January and May this year, compared to the same period last year. According to official sources, a total of 352 events of Jallikattu (bull taming), Eruthu Vidum Vizha (bull racing), and Manju Virattu (bull chasing) were conducted across 19 districts involving approximately 1.14 lakh bulls. The figure for the same period last year was 214. The tentative number of bulls that took part in these events may be 25,000 to 26,000, as one bull usually participates in four to five events. Due to a lack of unique code to identify each participating bull, the official figure of 1.14 lakh participating bulls may be inflated, sources said. Around 41,000 bull tamers took part in these events across Tamil Nadu during the period. P5 Currently, there is no mechanism to track the number of events in which a single bull may have taken part Official It’s believed to be able to penetrate about 61 metres below the surface before exploding, and the bombs can be dropped one after another, effectively drilling deeper and deeper with each successive blast. Illustration: Sourav roy Iran’s key nuclear enrichment facilities have been completely and totally obliterated. Iran, the bully of the Middle East, must now make peace Donald Trump, US prez Weight 13,608 kg Length 20 feet Masoud Pezeshkian, Iranian president Fordo is Iran’s second nuclear enrichment facility after Natanz. In addition to being 80 metres underneath, it is protected by Iranian and Russian missiles ■ Iran dials India, Modi calls for de-escalation j ayan t h j a c o b @ New Delhi PRIME Minister Narendra Modi spoke with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Sunday, voicing concern over the escalating Iran-Israel conflict, particularly as New Delhi is wary about rising tensions threatening regional stability . The 45-minute call, initiated by President Pezeshkian following US strikes on three key Iranian nuclear sites, included a detailed briefing on the evolving situation. “India reiterates its call for immediate de-escalation, dialogue and diplomacy as the way forward and for early restoration of regional peace, security and stability,” Modi said after the call. Pezeshkian described India as a friend and partner. He expressed appreciation for India’s consistent stance advocating dialo gue and diplomacy. “India’s voice and role is important in restoring regional peace,” Pezeshkian told Modi. Buzz on closure of Strait of Hormuz A gen c ies This aggression showed that is the main factor behind the Zionist regime’s hostile actions against Iran How tough a target is Fordo nuke site CHENNAI ■ MADURAI ■ VIJAYAWADA BENGALURU ■ KOCHI ■ HYDERABAD ■ VISAKHAPATNAM ■ COIMBATORE ■ KOZHIKODE ■ THIRUVANANTHAPURAM ■ BELAGAVI ■ BHUBANESWAR ■ SHIVAMOgGA ■ MANGALURU ■ TIRUPATI ■ TIRUCHY ■ TIRUNELVELI ■ SAMBALPUR ■ HUBBALLI ■ DHARMAPURI ■ KOTTAYAM ■ KANNUR ■ VILLUPURAM ■ KOLLAM ■ TADEPALLIGUDEM ■ NAGAPATTINAM ■ THRISSUR ■ KALABURAGI ■ Amid the escalating tensions with Israel and the additional conflict of US strikes on Iran, foreign minister Abbas Araghchi was asked about the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. He responded, saying that “a variety of options are available to Iran”. The Strait, located between Iran and Oman, and links the Gulf north of it with the Gulf of Oman to the south, is the passage for one-fifth of the world’s oil consumption. Iran’s parliament has approved the plan to close the Strait of Hormuz - the only sea passage from the Persian Gulf to the open ocean and is one of the world’s most strategically important choke points -- and the country’s Supreme Nation- al Security Council will take the final call, Iranian media reported on Sunday . If Iran decides to close the strait, it will impact global oil and gas shipments. According to estimates, around 20% of the world’s oil and gas moves through the Strait of Hormuz. The reported move follows US strikes on three Iranian military sites early on Sunday .