US lawmakers propose giving Israel access to bunker-busting bombs, stealth bombers in bipartisan bill

Two US lawmakers, a Republican and a Democrat, have presented a bill that, if passed, would give Israel access to the bunker-busting bombs and stealth bombers used by the US in its strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities last month.

The bill, put forward by Rep. Josh Gottheimer (Democrat-New Jersey) and Rep. Mike Lawler (Republican-New York), would give the US president the authority to transfer a supply of the 30,000-pound bunker-busting bombs and the B-2 stealth bombers to Israel in the event that Iran continues working on developing a nuclear weapon.

The US dropped more than a dozen of these bombs on the Fordo and Natanz underground nuclear facilities on June 22, amid Israel’s 12-day war with Iran.

While Israel struck hundreds of other nuclear and military targets across the Islamic Republic, it was unable to target these underground sites, as it lacks the weapons and planes needed for such a strike.

Accordingly, the bipartisan Bunker Buster Act would authorize the US to “take actions to ensure Israel is prepared for all contingencies if Iran seeks to develop a nuclear weapon.”

The bill has been proposed by Gottheimer twice previously, first in 2022 and then in 2024. It did not progress beyond the House floor either time.

“Iran is the world’s leading state sponsor of terror and is responsible for the deaths of thousands of Americans,” he writes on X. “As Iran rebuilds its nuclear program, we must maintain maximum deterrence.”

“My bipartisan Bunker Buster Act will give Israel the tools she needs to deter Iranian aggression and take out their underground nuclear sites — strengthening US national security.”