Fact Check: Bannon warns Trump: bunker-buster bomb might fail against Iran.

Fact Check: Bannon warns Trump: bunker-buster bomb might fail against Iran

What We Know

The claim that Steve Bannon warned Donald Trump about the potential failure of a bunker-buster bomb against Iran is currently unverified. Bannon, a prominent political strategist and former advisor to Trump, has been involved in discussions surrounding U.S. military strategy, particularly regarding Iran's nuclear capabilities. The U.S. possesses advanced bunker-buster bombs, specifically the GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP), designed to penetrate deep underground facilities like Iran's Fordo nuclear site, which is heavily fortified and buried within a mountain (NPR, Axios).

Recent reports indicate that the U.S. military is considering the use of such bombs in light of escalating tensions with Iran. However, experts have noted that the effectiveness of these bombs is not guaranteed, as they may require multiple strikes to ensure penetration and destruction of deeply buried targets (NPR, New York Times). This raises concerns about the operational risks involved and the potential for failure if the initial strike does not achieve its intended effect.

Analysis

The reliability of the claim hinges on the context and the source of the warning attributed to Bannon. While Bannon has been vocal about U.S. foreign policy and military strategy, there is no direct evidence or credible report confirming that he specifically warned Trump about the failure of bunker-buster bombs against Iran. The sources discussing the potential use of these bombs primarily focus on military assessments and expert opinions rather than direct quotes or statements from Bannon (NPR, Axios).

Bannon's background as a media executive and political strategist lends him some credibility in discussions about military strategy, but his statements should be scrutinized for potential bias, especially given his history with Trump and the political implications of military actions. Furthermore, the sources reporting on this topic, such as NPR and Axios, are generally considered reliable, but they do not provide direct evidence of Bannon's warning, which is crucial for validating the claim (NPR, Axios).

Conclusion

The claim that Bannon warned Trump about the potential failure of bunker-buster bombs against Iran remains unverified. While there are discussions about the effectiveness of such military strategies, no direct evidence supports the assertion that Bannon made this specific warning. Therefore, this claim "Needs Research" to establish its validity and to find any direct quotes or credible sources confirming Bannon's involvement in this particular warning.