����ֱ��

BANGKOK: If the US decides to support Israel more directly in its attack on Iran, one option for Washington would be to provide the “bunker-buster” bombs believed necessary to significantly damage the Fordo nuclear fuel enrichment plant, built deeply into a mountain.
Such a bomb would have to be dropped from an American aircraft, which could have wide-ranging ramifications, including jeopardizing any chance of Iran engaging in Trump’s desired talks on its nuclear program. Israeli officials have also suggested that there are other options for it to attack Fordo as it seeks to destroy Iran’s nuclear capabilities.
But aside from a commando attack on the ground or a nuclear strike, the bunker buster bomb seems the most likely option.
What is the bunker-buster bomb?
“Bunker buster” is a broad term used to describe bombs that are designed to penetrate deep below the surface before exploding. In this case, it refers to the latest GBU-57 A/B Massive Ordnance Penetrator bomb in the American arsenal. The roughly 30,000 pound (13,600 kilogram) precision-guided bomb is designed to attack deeply buried and hardened bunkers and tunnels, according to the US Air Force.
It’s believed to be able to penetrate about 200 feet (61 meters) below the surface before exploding, and the bombs can be dropped one after another, effectively drilling deeper and deeper with each successive blast.
The bomb carries a conventional warhead, but the International Atomic Energy Agency has confirmed that Iran is producing highly enriched uranium at Fordo, raising the possibility that nuclear material could be released into the area if the GBU-57 A/B were used to hit the facility. However, Israeli strikes at another Iranian nuclear site, Natanz, on a centrifuge site have caused contamination only at the site itself, not the surrounding area, the IAEA has said.
How tough a target is Fordo?

Fordo is Iran’s second nuclear enrichment facility after Natanz, its main facility. So far, Israeli strikes aren’t known to have damaged Natanz’s underground enrichment hall, nor have the Israelis targeted tunnels the Iranians are digging nearby.
Fordo is smaller than Natanz, and is built into the side of a mountain near the city of Qom, about 60 miles (95 kilometers) southwest of Tehran. Construction is believed to have started around 2006 and it became first operational in 2009 — the same year Tehran publicly acknowledged its existence.
In addition to being an estimated 80 meters (260 feet) under rock and soil, the site is reportedly protected by Iranian and Russian surface-to-air missile systems. Those air defenses, however, likely have already been struck in the Israeli campaign.
Still, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said the goal of attacking Iran was to eliminate its missile and nuclear program, which he described as an existential threat to Israel, and officials have said Fordo was part of that plan.
“This entire operation ... really has to be completed with the elimination of Fordo,” Yechiel Leiter, Israel’s ambassador to the US, told Fox News on Friday.
Why does the US need to be involved?
In theory, the GBU-57 A/B could be dropped by any bomber capable of carrying the weight, but at the moment the US has only configured and programed its B-2 Spirit stealth bomber to deliver the bomb, according to the Air Force.
The B-2 is only flown by the Air Force, and is produced by Northrop Grumman.
According to the manufacturer, the B-2 can carry a payload of 40,000 pounds (18,000 kilograms) but the US Air Force has said it has successfully tested the B-2 loaded with two GBU-57 A/B bunker busters — a total weight of some 60,000 pounds (27,200 kilograms).
The strategic long-range heavy bomber has a range of about 7,000 miles (11,000 kilometers) without refueling and 11,500 miles (18,500 kilometers) with one refueling, and can reach any point in the world within hours, according to Northrop Grumman.
Whether the US would get involved is another matter.
At the G7 meeting in Canada, Trump was asked what it would take for Washington to become involved militarily and he said: “I don’t want to talk about that.”
In a weekend interview with ABC News, Israeli Ambassador Leiter was asked about the possibility of the US helping attack Fordo and he emphasized Israel has only asked the US for defensive help.
“We have a number of contingencies ... which will enable us to deal with Fordo,” he said.
“Not everything is a matter of, you know, taking to the skies and bombing from afar.”

JEDDAH: ����ֱ�� has reached a key milestone in the global startup scene, with Riyadh climbing 60 places in just three years to rank 23rd among the top 100 emerging ecosystems, according to new data. 

The 2025 Global Startup Ecosystem Report, published by Startup Genome in collaboration with the Global Entrepreneurship Network, highlights the city’s transformation into a “launchpad into the $2+ trillion GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) market.”

Riyadh also ranks third in the Middle East and North Africa for funding, reflecting a sharp rise in deal volume.

����ֱ��’s startup ecosystem is rapidly evolving, driven by Vision 2030, strong government support, and rising investor interest.

Riyadh’s emergence as a leading innovation hub and strategic gateway to the broader GCC market reflects the Kingdom’s ambitions to diversify its economy, attract global talent, and foster high-growth sectors, including fintech, artificial intelligence, and digital infrastructure.

The analysis notes that over $2.6 billion in venture capital funding has flowed into the Saudi market since 2018, driven by government-backed funds, including the Saudi Venture Capital Co., Jada, and the Public Investment Fund.

While global ecosystems grapple with declining investment and exit slowdowns, the report highlights the Gulf region, particularly Riyadh, as one of the world’s most resilient and forward-looking innovation corridors, gaining momentum as a stable and fast-growing hub for entrepreneurship.

Samantha Evans, MENA managing director at Startup Genome, said: “The Gulf is one of the few markets in the world where ambition, alignment, and execution converge,” adding that it is “not a speculative bet — it’s a strategic inflection point.”

In ����ֱ��, Vision 2030 programs such as Monsha’at and CODE are “designing policy architectures to enable them (startups) to scale globally.” The UAE, through platforms like Hub71, DIFC Innovation Hub, and national sandbox frameworks, continues to attract “top-tier founders, Series A companies, and emerging technologies,” the study noted.

����ֱ��’s performance stands out across multiple metrics. The Kingdom ranked third globally in funding volume and investment-to-impact ratio, and fourth in talent availability, reflecting its ability to attract and retain entrepreneurial expertise. It also posted the second-highest performance in the MENA region, according to the report.

Key growth drivers include increased venture capital activity, enhanced entrepreneurial infrastructure, and rising investment in emerging technologies. Government-backed initiatives, particularly through Monsha’at, have strengthened the ecosystem, improved regulation, and boosted the contribution of small and medium-sized enterprises to the national economy in line with Vision 2030 targets.

The study identifies high-growth sectors fueling the Kingdom’s ascent, including artificial intelligence, fintech, cybersecurity, smart cities, infrastructure, and digital health, all of which align with the nation’s broader economic transformation.

“����ֱ�� has made significant strides to support innovation, drive economic diversification, and empower a new generation of entrepreneurs,” said Khaled Sharbatly Chairman of the National Entrepreneurship Committee Khaled Sharbatly. “We are committed to positioning ����ֱ�� as a global hub for entrepreneurship and innovation.”

Riyadh, described in the report as “not just the capital of ����ֱ�� — it’s a launchpad,” now hosts the regional headquarters of global firms such as Google Cloud, Amazon, and SAP — a sign of growing global confidence in the Kingdom’s innovation environment.

The city is characterized as a “fintech powerhouse,” with “over 200 fintechs now operating in the Kingdom,” supported by regulatory efforts from the Saudi Central Bank and Fintech Saudi.

Other sectors, such as cybersecurity, logistics, and education tech, are also thriving, with startups including Mozn, Salasa, and Diggipacks advancing through “strategic partnerships and government procurement pipelines,” as per the analysis.

Riyadh’s founder-friendly ecosystem is further supported by the Ministry of Investment and the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology, which offer 100 percent foreign ownership, fast licensing, and innovation-friendly regulations.

Programs like CODE and the Digital Government Authority sandboxes help “speed up time-to-market for new technologies.”

According to the report, startups are encouraged to relocate to Riyadh due to its direct access to major enterprise buyers, including sovereign wealth funds, ministries, and conglomerates. Government entities such as PIF, STC, and Aramco are actively partnering with and investing in emerging companies.

According to the Saudi Press Agency, this “notable progress reflects the Kingdom’s rapidly evolving entrepreneurial environment, marked by strong growth in venture capital, the expansion of startup infrastructure, and rising levels of innovation and investment in emerging technologies.”

The report draws on data from over five million startups across more than 350 global ecosystems, offering insights into the trends and policies shaping the future of innovation worldwide.

In the organization’s 2024 report, Riyadh ranked fourth among the top five startup ecosystems in the MENA region, with Jeddah and Alkhobar also featured on the list.