New satellite images indicate activity at two Iranian nuclear facilities that were bombed by Israel and the United States last year, raising concerns that Tehran may be trying to cover up efforts to obtain sensitive materials.
Images from Planet Labs PBC show new roofs being erected over damaged buildings at the Isfahan and Natanz nuclear sites, the first major visible activity at Iran’s nuclear facilities since Israel’s 12-day war with Iran in June, the AP reported.
The shields prevent satellites from observing ground-based activity, which is currently the only monitoring method available to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) because Iran has banned inspectors from the sites.
Iran has not publicly commented on the construction. The IAEA, the UN’s nuclear watchdog, did not respond to requests for comment.
Experts: Efforts likely aimed at overshadowing recovery work
Analysts who reviewed the images, according to the Associated Press, said the structures did not appear to signal reconstruction of badly damaged facilities, but rather an effort to shield recovery efforts from outside scrutiny.
“They want to be able to get to whatever recovered assets they can get without Israel or the United States seeing what’s left,” the news outlet quoted Andrea Stricker, an Iran analyst at the Washington-based Foundation for Defense of Democracies, which has been sanctioned by Tehran, as saying.
She said the work likely reflects attempts to determine whether “key assets — like limited reserves of highly enriched uranium — survived the strikes.”
Sarah Burkhard, senior research fellow at the Institute for Science and International Security, reportedly echoed that assessment.
“The roofs appear to be part of an operation to retrieve any kind of remaining property or debris without letting us know what they’re taking out of there,” Burkhard said.
Sean O’Connor, an analyst at the open source intelligence firm Janes, said the goal was likely to “conceal the activity rather than, say, repair or rebuild the structure for use.”
Isfahan and Natanz: the core of Iran’s nuclear program
Before Israel launched its offensive in June, Iran operated three major nuclear facilities. While Tehran insists its nuclear program is peaceful, Iranian officials have increasingly threatened to pursue nuclear weapons in recent years.
The Natanz facility, located about 220 km south of Tehran, housed most of Iran’s uranium enrichment operations, including advanced centrifuges used to enrich uranium up to 60%, a short technical step from weapons grade.
The site in Isfahan was primarily used for the production of uranium gas supplied to centrifuges.
A third site, Fordo, located under a mountain southwest of Tehran, contained a domed enrichment facility.
During the conflict, Israel was the first to attack these sites, followed by US attacks using bunker busting bombs and Tomahawk cruise missiles. The White House later said the strikes “significantly degraded Iran’s nuclear program,” though details remain classified.
Iran has not allowed IAEA inspectors to visit the facility since the attacks.
Roof construction observed in Natanz and Isfahan
Satellite images show Iran began building a roof over the Natanz pilot fuel enrichment plant in December and completed it by the end of the month. Israel struck the building on June 13, leaving it “functionally destroyed,” according to IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi, with the underground centrifuge halls “severely damaged.”
A subsequent US strike on 22 June targeted the Natanz underground facility with bunker busting bombs.
In Isfahan, images show a similar roof completed in early January over a structure near the northeast corner of the facility. While the building’s function is not publicly known, Israel has previously said its strikes there targeted centrifuge production facilities. The Israeli army refused to comment on the new construction.
The images also show tunnels near Isfahan filled with dirt – a defensive measure used by Iran before the June war – while another tunnel appears to have been cleaned and reinforced with new walls.
Signs of a wider military realignment
Satellite images suggest Iran is also working to rebuild part of its ballistic missile and military research infrastructure, the news outlet said.
At the Parchin military complex southeast of Tehran, Iran is rebuilding a site known as “Taleghan 2” that Israel destroyed in an October 2024 airstrike, according to earlier AP reports.
The Institute for Science and International Security said the facility previously contained an explosive chamber and specialized X-ray equipment used in tests related to nuclear weapons development.
“It was restored very quickly,” said Lewis Smart, an analyst at Janes. “It is being expanded to potentially be more resistant to penetration attacks and bombing.”
Satellite images show a large containment vessel being installed at the site, which experts say could be used for high-explosive testing, according to the AP.