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 tested a total weight of 27,200 kg The roughly 13,600 kilogram precision-guided bomb can attack deeply buried and hardened bunkers and tunnels BHUBANESWAR l monday l june 23, 2025 l `9.00 l PAGES 12 l late 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 centre 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 g e n c i e s @ 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- Ministers hit back at US travel fiat on Odisha visit 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 P9 ‘quickly resume talks.’  Big reform H e m a n t K u m a r R o u t @ Bhubaneswar State govt reduces land kisams from 7,797 to just 22, swatwas from 750 to 4 A sudden travel advisory by the United States flagging security concerns in parts of Odisha and urging its citizens to be highly cautious while travelling has sparked an outrage in the state. Odisha is among 14 states where the US has advised its citizens to reconsider their travel plans. Reacting sharply to the development, deputy chief minister and Tourism minister Pravati Parida said Odisha is a peaceful state and the advisory was unwarranted. However, such an advisory would have no impact on tourism as very few travellers from the US visit the state. “The state attracts more tourists from Europe, Arabian and middle east countries and Australia besides the Asia, mostly from East, South and South-East Asia. However, the Ministry of External Affairs will take up the matter with the US counterparts,” Parida, who is also the Women and Child Development minister, told TNIE. Minister for Science and Technology Krushna Chandra Patra also said Odisha is among the safest states in the country and any crime here is dealt with iron hand. Countering the grounds on which the US issued the advisory he said, “Is there , no violence in America? The country too reports riots and mass shootings. Wasn’t there an attack on Trump and the White House? How can they judge us and on what Continued on P5 basis?”  tion of land records and introduction of Land Record Management System Simplifying the land classifica- (LRMS) - Bhulekh and Bhunaksha. tions and ownership in the record of “Due to changing times and digitisarights (RoR), the state government tion of land records, the reclassificahas reduced the number of ‘kisams’ tion and remapping of kisams and (type of land use) from existing swatwas was imperative,” it 7,797 to 22, and ‘swatwas’ (type stated. of land holding) from 750 to Revenue officials said, a four, to get rid of confusion large number of vernacular and associated bottlenecks in names - 7,797 in total - existland administration. ing for the kisam in the RoR The government has also was creating unnecessary constituted a committee confusion and delaying the headed by the secretary of process of mutation and valthe Board of Revenue to exuation. Similarly, over 750 amine and map existing types of swatwas in the RoR The reform was kisams and swatwas with necessary in view were making the land acquithe newly-proposed kisams of the digitisation sition, transaction and their of land records and swatwas, and submit the administration more comand introduction report for final approval. p l i c at e d . L i m i t i n g t h e The 22 reclassified kisams of LRMS - Bhulekh number of kisams and swatand Bhunaksha. include Jalasechita do-fasali, was will now remove bottleDue to changing Jalasechita eka-fasali, Ananecks in land acquisition times and jalasechita, Bagayat, Jalaand transaction, speeding digitisation of saya, Gharabari, Byabasaiup land administration more land records, the ka, Khani Khadan, efficiently in the state, they reclassification Anusthanika, Jungle, Un- and remapping of added. kisams and nayana Jogya, Nala, NayThe officials said, the reswatwas was anajori, Gochar, Nadi, Rasta, classification of kisams will imperative Rail Line, Smasana, Graveease fixation of rent during yard, Samudra, Patita and settlement and consolidaRevenue dept Mountain/hill. Similarly, tion operation, simplify the four swatwas include benchmark valuation parity Rayati/Stihtiban, Pattadar, Dhar- and pave way for doing business in acmanusthan and Amrutamanohi. cordance with the policy of the state As per the resolution issued by the government and the Centre. It will Revenue and Disaster Management also benefit farmers in case of crop department on Saturday, the reform loss and in getting payment of their was necessary in view of the digitisa- input subsidy and compensation. S u d a r s a n M a h a r a n a @ Bhubaneswar EC mulls door-to-door verification of voters m u k e s h r a n j a n @ New Delhi 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 houseto-house 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 genu- ine 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. 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. graphic: 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 Weight 13,608 kg Length 20 feet Donald Trump, US prez How tough a target is Fordo nuke site 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 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 ■ ■ Iran dials India, Modi calls for de-escalation j aya n 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 Agencies This aggression showed that America is the main factor behind the Zionist regime’s hostile actions against Iran Masoud Pezeshkian, Iranian president Amid the escalating tensions with Israel and the US, 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—Iran’s Press TV reported on Sunday . The proposal will now go to the Supreme National Security Council, headed by a nominee of Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, will take the final call, it added. According to estimates, around 20% of the world’s oil and gas moves through the Strait of Hormuz. If Iran decides to close the strait, it could send global oil prices skyrock- eting. Iran’s reported move follows US strikes on three Iranian military sites on Sunday . Choking the strait­ which — handles around 20 million barrels of crude oil per day—could cripple oil exports from key Gulf producers including Saudi Arabia, Iraq, UAE, and Kuwait. While there are some alternate pipelines, they can only handle a small share.