Satellite imagery reveals Iran is constructing coverings over damaged nuclear facilities in Isfahan and Natanz, the first significant activity at the sites since a 12-day conflict with Israel in June [[1]].The moves, reported by the Associated Press, are raising concerns about transparency as international oversight remains stalled and come as former U.S. President Donald Trump continues to demand negotiations over IranS nuclear program, even threatening military action [[1]].
Images captured by Planet Labs PBC show Iran constructing roofs over damaged buildings at facilities in Isfahan and Natanz, marking the first significant activity observed via satellite at the Iranian nuclear sites since the 12-day conflict with Israel in June. The developments raise concerns about the opacity of Iran’s nuclear program amid stalled international oversight.
According to the Associated Press, the coverings are intended to shield the sites from satellite observation – the sole means by which inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) can monitor the locations, after Iran barred their access.
Former U.S. President Donald Trump previously called on Iran to negotiate an agreement regarding its nuclear program to avoid potential U.S. military strikes, citing accusations of the Iranian regime suppressing anti-government protests.
The United States deployed the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier and several guided-missile destroyers to the Middle East, though it remains unclear whether Trump would authorize the use of force.
Experts who examined the sites told the Associated Press that the new roofs do not appear to signal the start of reconstruction at the heavily damaged facilities. Instead, they likely represent efforts by Iran to assess whether key assets, such as limited stockpiles of highly enriched uranium, survived the attacks, according to Andrea Stricker, who studies Iranian affairs at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, a Washington-based think tank sanctioned by Iran.
“They want to access any salvaged assets without Israel or the United States seeing what survived,” she said.
Prior to Israel’s 12-day conflict with Iran in June, Tehran operated three primary nuclear sites linked to its program. Iran has consistently maintained that its nuclear program is peaceful.
Natanz
The Natanz facility, located approximately 137 miles south of the capital, houses both above- and below-ground laboratories responsible for the majority of Iran’s uranium enrichment. Israel struck the site on June 13, causing significant damage to underground halls containing cascades of centrifuges, according to IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi at the time.
A subsequent U.S. strike on June 22 targeted underground facilities at Natanz with bunker-busting bombs, which are believed to have destroyed the remaining structures.
Iran also appears to be continuing excavation work begun in 2023 on a mountain several hundred meters south of the Natanz complex perimeter. Satellite imagery shows increasing piles of excavated earth, suggesting Iran is constructing a new underground nuclear facility at the location.
Images from Planet Labs PBC show Iran began constructing a roof over the damaged facility in December, completing the work by the end of the month.
Isfahan
A satellite image captured by Planet Labs PBC shows a roof constructed over the ruins of the Isfahan Nuclear Technology Center outside the city of Isfahan on Wednesday, January 28.
Prior to the conflict, the IAEA reported that Iran used advanced centrifuges at the site to enrich uranium to up to 60 percent, a technical step close to the 90 percent level required for a nuclear weapon. Some of this material was believed to be present at the site when the complex was attacked.
The facility outside Isfahan was primarily known for producing uranium gas used to feed centrifuges for enrichment.
In Isfahan, Iran began building a similar roof over a structure near the northeast corner of the site, completing the work in early January. The role of that building is not specifically known, although the Israeli military stated at the time that its strikes in Isfahan targeted sites linked to centrifuge manufacturing.
Meanwhile, images show two tunnels leading to a mountain near the Isfahan facility have been filled with earth, as a precautionary measure against missile strikes – a step Iran also took before the June conflict.
Additionally, a third tunnel appears to have had earth removed from it, with a new set of walls being constructed near the entrance as a clear security measure.
“The roofs appear to be part of an effort to recover any remaining assets or debris without allowing us to see what is being taken out of there,” said Sarah Burkhard, a senior research fellow at the Institute for Science and International Security in Washington, which has long monitored Iranian nuclear sites.
Other Work in Iran
Since the end of the conflict, Iran has been working to reshape its ballistic missile program and rebuild related sites, according to previous reports by the Associated Press. This included work at the (Taleghan 2) site, located within a military complex known as Parchin, southeast of Tehran.
“This site has been rapidly reshaped. It is being expanded to be more resistant to penetration and bombing attacks, and a relatively large containment vessel is being introduced into the facility, which could be used for high-explosives tests,” said Louis Smart, an analyst at Jane’s who studies the Iranian nuclear program.
