“BURIAL BY FIRE”: U.S. Debuts 5,000-Pound “Bunker Busters” on Iranian Munitions
WASHINGTON / TEHRAN — As part of the ongoing “Operation Epic Fury,” U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) confirmed on Thursday, March 26, 2026, that the U.S. military has escalated its air campaign, employing massive 5,000-pound penetrator weapons to destroy hardened underground Iranian munitions storage facilities. These strikes specifically targeted coastal defense cruise missiles (CDCMs) and naval ammunition depots used by the IRGC to threaten the Strait of Hormuz.
According to Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine, the U.S. has now struck over 7,000 targets across Iran’s military infrastructure since the conflict began on February 28.
The Combat Debut of the GBU-72
The latest wave of strikes featured the first confirmed combat use of the GBU-72 Advanced 5K Penetrator, a precision-guided “bunker-buster” designed to defeat deeply buried targets that traditional munitions cannot reach.
- Bespoke Destruction: “These weapons are bespokely designed to get through concrete and/or rocks and function after penetrating those barriers,” Gen. Caine stated during a Pentagon briefing.
- Target Profile: The munitions storage sites were located primarily along Iran’s southern coastline and on the strategic Nazeat Islands (Greater Tunb, Lesser Tunb, Abu Musa), where Iran had staged a “vast network of underground bunkers” for anti-ship missiles.
- The “Burial” Strategy: Rather than just destroying the missiles, the U.S. is systematically bombing tunnel entrances, effectively burying Iran’s surviving munitions caches underground to prevent their deployment.
Status of Iran’s Military Industrial Base
The Pentagon and Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) have provided a data-driven assessment of the damage inflicted on Iran’s ability to wage war.
| Capability | Current Status (March 27, 2026) | Key Facilities Impacted |
| Ballistic Missiles | 90% drop in the rate of attacks since Feb 28. | Imam Ali Base, Heydar Karar Base, Yazd Missile Base. |
| UAV / Drones | Heavy Degradation of assembly lines. | Shokouhiyeh and Esteghlal Industrial Zones. |
| Naval Power | Over 120 vessels destroyed including 44 mine layers. | Bandar Abbas shipyards, Shahid Tamjidi Industries. |
| Command & Control | Decapitation of naval leadership. | IRGC Navy Chief Alireza Tangsiri killed in Bandar Abbas. |
The “Largest Strike Package” Yet
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth emphasized that despite President Trump’s 10-day delay on targeting energy plants (extending that deadline to April 6), the hunt for munitions and military hardware is intensifying.
- Expanding Eastward: U.S. forces are pushing deeper into eastern Iran to eliminate one-way attack drone units and mine storage facilities.
- A-10 Support: A-10 Warthogs are actively clearing the Strait of Iranian fast-attack craft and mine-layers to reopen global shipping lanes.
- Operation Roaring Lion: Israel (using the codename “Roaring Lion”) has struck an additional 8,500 targets, focusing on the IRGC Ground Forces Headquarters and weapons production sites in Tehran and central Iran.
What’s Next?
While the “Total Infrastructure Phase” is on a 10-day pause until April 6, the Pentagon is not stopping its “capability degradation” mission. The goal remains the complete elimination of Iran’s military manufacturing apparatus. If the 15-point U.S. proposal—currently being mediated by Pakistan—is not accepted within this window, the next phase is expected to include the destruction of the national power grid and potential ground deployments on Kharg Island.